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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24205024">The World of Chaos</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galatwix/pseuds/Galatwix'>Galatwix</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Ending, Character Death Fix, Crank Newt (Maze Runner), Fanfic with some plot, Fix-it fic, Frypan is here too, Gally is trying, Newt (Maze Runner) Lives, Newt (Maze Runner) hurt, Plot, Protective Minho, Sad Minho, Safe Haven, Saving the World, Slow Burn, TDC Alternate Ending, The Death Cure, The Maze Runner - Freeform, Worried Thomas (Maze Runner), death cure</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:27:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>56,836</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24205024</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galatwix/pseuds/Galatwix</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The worst feeling is to spend your life racing towards a goal, only to arrive there disappointed.<br/>The Immunes are safe, but the world is still in chaos. The Flare is still active and people have nowhere left to run. With the fate of the world still hanging precariously in the balance, Thomas has a decision to make. A decision that will shape the future as he knows it.<br/>Save the world that has been so cruel to him, or let it crumble in all of its former glory?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Brenda &amp; Gally (Maze Runner), Brenda &amp; Minho (Maze Runner), Brenda &amp; Newt (Maze Runner), Brenda &amp; Thomas (Maze Runner), Frypan &amp; Newt (Maze Runner), Frypan &amp; Thomas (Maze Runner), Gally &amp; Minho (Maze Runner), Gally &amp; Newt (Maze Runner), Gally &amp; Thomas (Maze Runner), Harriet/Sonya | Elizabeth "Lizzy" (Maze Runner), Minho &amp; Newt (Maze Runner), Minho &amp; Thomas (Maze Runner), Newt &amp; Sonya | Elizabeth "Lizzy" (Maze Runner), Newt &amp; Thomas (Maze Runner), Newt/Thomas (Maze Runner), Sonharriet, Sonya | Elizabeth "Lizzy" &amp; Thomas (Maze Runner), newtmas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>102</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The last thing Thomas remembered was </span>
  <span>the ones he lost. He remembered his failures. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>How he hadn’t been able to get the cure </span>
  <span>to Newt, how he could only watch as Teresa fell….</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The feeling of Teresa’s lips crushing </span>
  <span>against his for the first and last time, his final fight with someone he’d been through so much with… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The memory of Teresa’s sacrifice, the </span>
  <span>memory of Newt’s pleads for death as he switched between himself and… someone else. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two of his closest friends… ripped away </span>
  <span>from his desperate hands in one night. The crushing pain in his chest when he realized they were gone forever hurt even worse than the bleeding gash in his side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>From that moment on, all he wished for </span>
  <span>was death. When the darkness came, he welcomed it. But, unfortunately, he wasn’t granted the satisfaction. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He drifted for a while, at peace and </span>
  <span>calm. Nothing mattered anymore. There was no problems here, no WCKD, no guilt, no </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It was a nice break from it all. Until it wasn’t. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>First there was pain, the surefire sign of </span>
  <span>life and Thomas’ never ending Disappointment. When he opened his eyes, he discovered an unfamiliar ceiling above him. Or rather… a </span>
  <em>
    <span>cloth…? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Groggily, he moved to sit up, but a slight ache </span>
  <span>suddenly shot through his side. He winced, his hand moving to his side as he pushed himself up the rest of the way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Thomas lifted his shirt, he </span>
  <span>discovered his side laced in bandages. The memory slammed into him not too long later. That was right. He’d been shot by Janson, The Rat Man, who was hopefully dead by now. </span>
</p><p><span>He almost scoffed at the irony of it. </span>Just another person he’d gotten killed. Janson, Chancellor Paige… Newt, Teresa… some protector he was. </p><p>
  <span>Thomas let out a low breath as he </span>
  <span>reached to poke at the wound, but raised his head at a noise outside instead. It sounded like… water… </span>
  <em>
    <span>waves… </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He squinted at the bright, warm sunlight </span>
  <span>shining behind the opening of the den and inhaled deeply at the feeling of breeze blowing across his face. Where </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> he anyways? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas pushed himself into a</span>
  <span>shaky position from the cot he’d been sitting on, then headed for the entrance. He pushed back the curtain hastily, shocked to discover… a </span>
  <em>
    <span>beach? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Golden sand lined the edge of the water, </span>
  <span>a large mountain sat off to his right and, to his left, the ship sat floating on the water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His attention was again drawn to noise </span>
  <span>coming from the land on his left, but he frowned at the sight he was met with. Dozens of huts lined the beach, there was even smoke coming from what he assumed was a campfire. He could hear people laughing and chatting in the distance sounding almost… </span>
  <em>
    <span>happy… </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he even realized what he was </span>
  <span>doing, Thomas began walking towards it, his fear of the unknown unbeknownst to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>People of young ages waved at him as he </span>
  <span>passed, some carrying baskets, some simply talking with their friends. He walked by a dozen different huts, all seemingly doing different jobs. There was a garden, a farm, the sound of hammering reached his ears and he spotted people </span>
  <em>
    <span>building </span>
  </em>
  <span>something. It seemed like it was a whole little paradise here… a </span>
  <em>
    <span>haven. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The sight of someone coming towards </span>
  <span>him caught Thomas’ attention, but when he turned to see who it was, he faltered. He dropped dead in his tracks at the person standing there: Minho. And Brenda. Jorge. Gally. Frypan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, Thomas and Minho only </span>
  <span>stared at each other, but it wasn’t long before Thomas was able to recognize the other boy’s relief. Yes, he seemed to be saying. They </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> safe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas let out a quiet breath, then
  <span>crossed the short distance between the two and pulled his friend into a hug. He patted Minho’s back, relieved as well to </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally </span>
  </em>
  <span>be safe… to </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally </span>
  </em>
  <span>be away from WCKD. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“We were getting worried, you Shank…” 
  <span>Minho said with a breath of a tearful laugh as he pulled away. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well…” Thomas sighed as he pulled
  <span>Brenda in for a hug next. “Guess I defied death…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“We were getting worried we’d lose you, 
  <span>too…” Brenda remarked. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas sighed and nodded sadly as </span>
  <span>Jorge clapped him on the back and Gally punched his arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He cast a look around at his group of 
  <span>friends. He’d originally escaped from the maze with 13 gladers… now, there were only 4 left. Yeah, he scoffed to himself quietly. He was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>great leader. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“We were getting worried </span>
  <em>
    <span>neither</span>
  </em>
  <span> of you </span>
  <span>would wake up…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the statement from Frypan, Thomas 
  <span>frowned and paused. “What?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Well, I mean you were out for—!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no,” Thomas cut in quickly. “What do </span>
  <span>you mean </span>
  <em>
    <span>either </span>
  </em>
  <span>of us…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the group suddenly </span>
 exchanged worried looks. It was Jorge who finally spoke. 
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s something you need to see, Hermano
 <span>…” he said quietly. “But, I think we’d better explain some things to you beforehand…you hungry?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>As much as Thomas was curious, his </span>
  <span>hunger ultimately trumped it all. So, he decided to try and not get his hopes up and nodded. “Uh… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, </span>
  </em>
  <span>actually…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Frypan seemed genuinely
  <span>excited. “I’m sure we could whip you something up!” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>At that, Thomas smiled briefly. </span>
 “Thanks…” 
</p><p>
  <span>Frypan let out a genuine laugh, then </span>
  <span>reached over and threw an arm gently across Thomas’ shoulders. “Glad to have you back, Man…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good to be back…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The group took a seat outside what
  <span>Thomas could only assume was the kitchen, seeing as Frypan quickly disappeared inside it. It was right near a large, open area with rows and rows of seats, along with a giant rock down the beach. “What’s that?” Thomas asked and pointed to the rock. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The rest of the group leaned over to
  <span>look at it.  </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Dunno,” Minho shrugged. “Vince had
  <span>some guys pull it out onto the beach earlier. I think it’s got something to do with The Gathering tonight.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“The Gathering?” Like in the Glade? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Dunno what he’s gonna announce, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>though.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately Thomas was interrupted 
  <span>before he could continue questioning, but he wasn’t at all annoyed by it. He took the sandwich from Frypan, for once </span>
  <em>
    <span>happy </span>
  </em>
  <span>not to get the chance to ask more. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Dig in, Shank,” Minho said with a sad
  <span>smile as he leaned back. “We’ve got some stuff to talk about.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas didn’t waste a second to begin
  <span>shoving the sandwich in his mouth. But, his eyes were glued onto the group anxiously. None of them seemed eager to speak. “Well?” He asked, mouth half full. “Who’s the other person?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“It’s… a long story…” Brenda began </span>
  <span>sheepishly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going anywhere,” Thomas said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jorge let out a deep sigh. “We just… We
  <span>just don’t want to get your hopes up, Hermano… take it from me when I say you’re a lot better off than he is… it’s a miracle he even made it the </span>
  <em>
    <span>first</span>
  </em>
  <span> night…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>A shiver shot down Thomas’ spine at the </span>
  <span>man’s words. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>He?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jorge shot him an apologetic look, but
  <span>didn’t comment. “He was weak when we first brought him here and he’s even weaker now than he was then… it’s taking a lot out of him battling the infections and fevers and…” he sighed. “We’ve been doing what we can to keep him alive, but… he’s… he’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>weak</span>
  </em>
  <span>… he can’t hold on forever…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The sandwich in Thomas’ mouth suddenly
  <span>turned to cardboard and he was all so aware of who they were talking about. “Where is he?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Jorge fell silent and shook his head. When no one else responded, Thomas </span>
  <span>asked again. “Where’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Newt?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho let out a miserable sigh, but it was Gally
  <span> who finally responded quietly. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“...Near where you woke up…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas was standing before he was even
  <span>really aware of what he was doing and moving at an alarming speed back through the camp. His friends were calling out behind him, but he didn’t pause for even a second. However, it didn’t take long for Minho to catch up to him and the boy grabbed his shirt harshly. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Thomas!” Minho pulled him to a stop
  <span>right before he reached the medical dens. “Listen, you dumb Shank, okay?! Listen…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Hastily, Thomas whipped to face him. “</span>
  <span>Minho, he’s—!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know!” Minho cut in before Thomas  </span>
could finish. His hand landed on the other boy’s shoulder. “Everything You’re feeling right now, I know! 
  <em>
    <span>I’ve</span>
  </em>
  <span> been through it, okay? I ran to the </span>
  <em>
    <span>both </span>
  </em>
  <span>of you when I first got here… but… but it’s not what you’re expecting, okay…? He’s not…. he’s not what you remember…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frypan caught up to them next, closely
  <span>followed by Gally. “He’s right, Thomas,” Frypan panted. “He’s… He’s not there, alright? Newt’s… Newt’s…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Newt’s gone.” Gally finished. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>alive!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Thomas shot back harshly.<span>“Isn’t that good enough?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“I thought the </span>
  <em>
    <span>exact same thing,  </span>
  </em>
  <span>Thomas,” Minho shot back, voice suddenly broken. “We </span>
  <em>
    <span>All </span>
  </em>
  <span>did. But, it didn’t take me long to realize that… that it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>pointless… </span>
  </em>
  <span>he hasn’t gotten any better, he’s barely pulled through </span>
  <em>
    <span>every night here…” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“After Everything, Minho…?” Thomas
  <span>blinked and shook his head slightly. “We left the maze with, what? 13 gladers?  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Now</span>
  </em>
  <span> look at us… All that’s left is me, you, Gally Frypan… And </span>
  <em>
    <span>Newt…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Thomas thought back to the night he’d thought he’d lost two of his good friends in a matter of hours. How he’d remembered </span>
  <em>
    <span>all </span>
  </em>
  <span>that he’d lost along with Teresa and Newt… “Minho…” he whispered. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Finally, Minho let go of him, eyes
  <span>suddenly filled with tears. “Fine,” he murmured and took a step back. “You can see for yourself, but I’m not going in. I.. I just can’t anymore, okay? I can’t listen to every single one of his breath’s sounding like his last.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Neither Gally nor Frypan said anything,
  <span>but their slight agreeing nods responded just as loudly. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Fine.” Thomas gave them a single, curt 
  <span>nod of understanding, before he turned back to the hut and pushed the curtains open.</span>
</span></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The second Thomas stepped inside the hut, his ears were immediately filled with the sound of sputtering gasps of breaths coming from the cot on the far wall.</p><p>
  <em> “Thomas?” </em>
</p><p>Thomas hadn’t expected the second voice and he certainly didn’t expect to see Sonya stand up.</p><p>“Oh my god…!” Sonya set down the cloth in her hand, crossed the short distance between them, and threw her arms around Thomas. “You’re finally awake! How are you feeling?”</p><p>“Better,” Thomas answered absently and pat her back briefly. His attention was glued to the half naked boy laying on the cot in the dim lighting.</p><p>Every inch of Newt’s exposed skin was covered with sweat. His hair was plastered to his forehead and his chest, wrapped in thick white bandages, heaved up and down with shallow, gasping breaths like a fish out of water. An IV was inserted into the prominent veins on his left arm and the folded back blanket at his waist was drenched in sweat. </p><p>“How… How…?” Thomas couldn’t find the words to finish.</p><p>Sonya pulled away frowning as she turned back to the boy behind her. “Found out pretty quick, yeah?”</p><p>Thomas turned to her questioningly and the girl sighed.</p><p>“Didn’t they <em> warn </em> you…?”</p><p>“They did,” Thomas answered. “I had to see for myself.” He approached the bed slowly, tense and ready if Newt were to suddenly strike him again, but the boy was unresponsive. His eyes were rolling around uselessly in his sockets and, though his lips were moving, words were incomprehensible. The rest of his body was completely limp.</p><p>“He’s not getting better, Thomas.” Sonya said as she came up behind him. “You shouldn’t get your hopes up too much…”</p><p>Thomas slowly fell to his knees beside the cot and gently took Newt’s hand in his own. It was cold and lifeless, give the slight twitch of his fingers. When he turned the boy’s pale arm over, he discovered the familiar dark and angry veins snaking up his arm, though they were slightly lighter than he’d last seen.</p><p>“The fever’s up again, he can barely breathe on his own…” Sonya murmured sadly and took a seat beside Thomas. She grabbed the cloth again and began dabbing at Newt’s face. “We’ve given him what we can… but, it barely helps. The cure we gave him… it didn’t last long and, once it wears off, we might have to—!”</p><p>“Wait.” Her word’s suddenly processed in Thomas’ head and he whipped towards her. “What’d you just say?”</p><p>Sonya turned to him and raised a brow. “Thomas… once the cure wears off, it might be time—!”</p><p><em> “Cure.” </em> The memory slammed into Thomas with a jolt. Back to what he’d been doing after Newt died… with <em> Teresa. </em>He let his hand drop from Newt’s, then reached into his pocket and felt around.</p><p>“Thomas, What are you—?”</p><p>“A <em> cure, </em> Sonya!” Thomas breathed desperately. “I have a <em> cure!” </em></p><p>Sonya stared at him, her face a mixture of shock and disbelief. “W… <em> What?” </em></p><p>The second Thomas’ fingers closed around it, he yanked it out of his pocket, fingers shaking so badly that it nearly dropped to the floor. “Do you have an injector? A syringe?”</p><p>Sonya didn’t respond, her mouth was agape as she stared at the vial between his fingers.</p><p>
  <em> “Sonya!” </em>
</p><p>“Uh… Uh, yeah!” Sonya suddenly exclaimed. “A-A Syringe I think…” Hastily, she pushed herself from the floor and stumbled across the den to the shelf. About half of the supplies that had been sitting there fell to the floor in her frantic search, then, suddenly, the curtain burst open.</p><p>“What the hell’s going on in here?” Gally  demanded. Thomas turned to see him peeking inside, Minho and Frypan’s faces close behind him.</p><p>“Thomas has a cure!” Sonya explained  quickly as she dug through the contents of the shelf. “I’m just trying to find a syringe.”</p><p>“What?” Frypan exclaimed. “Where did you get <em> that, </em>Thomas?”</p><p>“Teresa…” Thomas breathed shakily.  “She… She made it before… before…”</p><p>“How do we even know it works?” Gally demanded.</p><p>“We don’t.” Minho suddenly shoved past Gally into the den and immediately joined Sonya on the floor.</p><p>“What are you—?”</p><p>“I’m being hopeful,” Minho shot back before Gally could finish. “This is Newt’s last shot. Even if it doesn’t work, he’s already on his way out.”</p><p>“Oh, what the hell,” Frypan entered the den next and joined the two on the floor, Gally wasn’t far behind.</p><p>For a moment, all Thomas could do was watch anxiously. But, when he actually moved to help, Minho let out a gasp.</p><p>“I got one!” He shouted.  </p><p> Sonya swiped it out of his hands before he could say much else, then rushed back over to Thomas and Newt. When she held out a hand, Thomas set the cure down on her palm.</p><p>“It might not work,” Thomas said to his  friends as they approached. Minho laid a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>“It’s worth a try, Shank.”</p><p>The four of them sat back anxiously as  Sonya prepared the syringe, then slid it into Newt’s arm.</p><p>She pressed down the plunger and Thomas held his breath anxiously as he watched the serum disappear under Newt’s skin. At first, much to his horror, nothing happened.</p><p>But, slowly, Newt’s breathing began to speed up, louder and faster with each intake until it sounded like he was choking. Then, all of a sudden, the boy’s eyes rolled back fully into his head until only the whites were showing and he began to seize.</p><p>Minho’s hand fell onto Thomas’ shoulder  squeezed anxiously as the four watched, unable to help their friend. Sonya’s hands were pressed over her mouth, but it was impossible to determine if her expression was good or bad.</p><p>Finally, after what seemed like ages, Newt’s body arched one last time, then he fell limp against the cot, eerily still.</p><p>“No…”</p><p>“Come on, Newt…” Thomas begged quietly. Please don’t die! I can’t lose you, <em> we </em> can’t lose you!</p><p>Frantically, Sonya reached out one final time, but, before she could even touch the boy’s skin, a harsh gasp suddenly sprung from Newt’s mouth and he jackknifed into a sitting position.</p><p>His eyes were wide, but clear of infection as they swept across the room in a panic. When they landed on Thomas, they narrowed slightly in confusion. His lips moved and, though no sound came out, it was clear what he was trying to say. ‘Tommy…?’</p><p>Before anyone could even respond, Newt’s eyes rolled back into his head and he began to pitch forwards.</p><p>Thomas lunged forwards to catch him before he could fall off the cot. The boy was limp in his arms, but his breathing was quiet and steady. He was shaking only slightly as Thomas slowly laid him back down again.</p><p>Minho approached them quietly from behind. “Is… Is he…?” He peered over Thomas’ shoulder carefully, but, once his eyes landed on his old friend, his face melted in relief. “He’s alive…!”</p><p>“Guys,” Frypan suddenly gasped. <em> “Look!” </em></p><p>Thomas turned around to see what the boy was pointing at and grinned. Newt’s veins had sunken back into his skin and, though they were still gray, no longer did they seem large or apparent.</p><p>“It worked…” Sonya breathed in shock.</p><p>Frypan let out a cheerful laugh. “It worked!” He reached over and pulled all three boys to him excitedly, crushing them in a hug. “You son of a bitch, Thomas, it <em> worked!” </em></p><p>“Frypan…” Minho gasped. “Can’t…  breathe!”</p><p>“Oh! Sorry…” Frypan’s grasp loosened but  only slightly, but Thomas was too caught up in thought to really complain.</p><p>He could do nothing but stare in shock at the effects of the cure. “It worked…” he finally confirmed quietly. Teresa would’ve loved this… to see someone finally cured from The Flare by her own hands…</p><p>A pang of shame washed over Thomas  briefly, but he shook it off before it could continue. Newt was alive because of her… he owed her this much to at least be happy about it.</p><p>“Alright, alright,” Sonya suddenly piped up. “We don’t know for sure if The Flare is really gone, all we can do is wait. Not to mention, he lost a lot of blood from that stab wound. Even though his path is a lot clearer, he’s not out of the woods yet.”</p><p>“But, he’s… doing better, isn’t he?” Frypan asked.</p><p>“Better than he was,” Sonya confirmed. “But, he still needs rest... and lots of it. So, I know you’re excited, but I want you to know he’s still got a few days before he’s even <em> ready </em> to wake up.”</p><p>“But… we can still stay with him, right?”  Thomas asked.</p><p>“I guess,” Sonya said. <em> “You </em> can… but, <em> me   </em>on the other hand…” she pushed herself up off the ground. “I have things to do.”</p><p>“Aren’t you <em> doing </em>them?” Minho asked.  “Aren’t you a medic?”</p><p>“Part time,” Sonya answered. “In training, if you would. Mary only taught me so much in between the other stuff I had going on. I do enjoy it, but I also have other responsibilities as well…”</p><p>“Yeah, speaking of which,” Frypan stood as well. “I have to help get dinner started.”</p><p>“And, I have a project to finish,” Gally added.</p><p>Thomas turned to Minho expectantly, but the boy merely shrugged. “I’m good here for now.”</p><p>“Alright,” Thomas said to the three others. “We won’t hold you from your work. We can stay with Newt and make sure nothing happens.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Sonya smiled warmly. “If anything changes, come get me or another medic immediately.”</p><p>“We will.”</p><p>“And, Thomas?”</p><p>Thomas turned questioningly to the girl  behind them.</p><p>“Do try to pace yourself for a while, yeah? I know you feel alright now, but you <em> did </em>just wake up from a week-long coma. Take it easy until you’re cleared.”</p><p>“Alright, Sonya,” Thomas responded and  returned the smile. He would try to follow her instructions, of course, but he could make no such promises.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Thomas and Minho stayed by Newt’s side for a little while after the rest of the group left, but it turned out not to be the most exciting thing.</p><p>Newt, of course, did not wake. In fact, he barely moved in the time the boys had sat with him. It <em> was </em>kind of exhausting.</p><p>“Hey, Minho,” Thomas started absently when his boredom got the better of him. “What do <em> you </em> do here? Without a maze, I mean…” Likewise, what could <em> Thomas </em> do? He was terrible at the jobs <em> and </em> responsibilities.</p><p>“Oh…” Minho pulled a sheepish face. “Y’know, What I can… I helped build a little, but I like doing mostly things involving running, though. I’ve mapped the island, hunted, found a really cool cave up near the mountains…”</p><p>“A cave?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Minho grinned. “It’s cool. It feels like you can see the whole camp from up there. It’s got a nice view of the ocean <em> and </em> it’s quiet, too.”</p><p>Newt suddenly sighed in his sleep, but when Thomas and Minho turned to look at him, he was still.</p><p>“Sounds nice,” Thomas remarked, he had a feeling that Newt wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon. “How far?”</p><p>“Oh…” Minho leaned back and pursed his lips in thought. “About… I dunno, <em> half a mile </em>up?”</p><p>“The gathering’s at sundown, right?” Thomas asked.</p><p>“Yeah…”</p><p>“Think we could make it there and back before then…?”</p><p>Minho cast a look to Newt, who was still unmoving and silent on the cot, before he nodded. “Yeah, we can tell Sonya we’re gonna leave the hut. I think, even with your slow, Shank self, we could manage it.”</p><p>Thomas bobbed his head as he pushed himself into a standing position. His side ached, but the pain wasn’t even that bad. “Thanks for the compliment, Minho,” He murmured in response.</p><p>“No problem, Shank,” Minho grinned.</p><p> </p><p>After consulting a half disappointed Sonya about their brief day trip, Thomas and Minho took off up the side of the mountain.</p><p>The trail up was rocky and steep, but, to Thomas, it was very distracting from everything  that was going on right now. The best part was that his side barely ached as he was climbing. When they did reach the said cave, however, adrenaline finally did catch up and he took a heavy seat on the edge.</p><p>Minho had been right about this place, though. It was high enough up that basically the whole camp could be seen along with the ocean and the horizon in the distance. It was quiet up here, far enough away from the base that chatter was only audible if one listened for it.</p><p>“It’s a good place to come and think,” Minho remarked and took a seat beside Thomas. “I’ve had a lot of time to do that after I mapped the whole island in about 2 days.”</p><p>“You can make it 4 when you map it again with me.” Thomas added. His side suddenly stung in protest and he winced. “When I’m healed enough that is.”</p><p>Minho shrugged. “I guess it'll be more fun with someone to talk to.”</p><p>“Yeah, and were not even on a time limit here either. There’s no gates that close to seal your doom with a bunch of disgusting nightmares,” Thomas sat back. “If we wanted, it could literally take us a week… that’d take our minds off the fact that we’re useless here.”</p><p>“Read my mind, Shank,” Minho said with a relaxing sigh. “But, honestly, I’ve seen the looks people give me when I turn back up at camp empty handed. I tried to build, I tried to hunt, I really do, but I’m too impatient, man. I like to be moving.”</p><p>Thomas agreed with a snort. “I remember my first time in the glade, I sucked at basically <em> everything </em>except being a runner.”</p><p>“Yeah, think about how <em> I </em>felt,” Minho  said. “Being a runner didn’t exist. Back then we practically invented jobs to try and make sense of it. Nearly klunked our pants a The very sight of the maze.”</p><p>Thomas vaguely remembered those times all those years ago, except he’d been on the opposite side of things.</p><p>“A couple more people came up with the  same issue, too. Some were okay at some jobs, but just wanted more. Some were terrible at every job. That’s when we finally decided to start exploring the maze to try to find a way out.” He let out a noise between a scoff and a chuckle, then turned to Thomas. “‘Course, we never <em> did. </em>All those years running and the puzzle’s cracked by some Greenie on basically his first week.”</p><p>“Well, to be fair,” Thomas said. “I had a lot to do with the maze. In a manner of speaking, we were both there for an equal amount of time.”</p><p>“Yeah, me klunking in a bucket and sleeping in a hammock while you fancied it up with the Big Shots.”</p><p>“I didn’t enjoy it, you know,” Thomas said quietly. “Watching All my friends die for 3 years…”</p><p>“I know,” Minho said, tone understanding. “If we’re gonna pin blane, it’s going to be on WCKD. Forever and always.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Thomas agreed. He longed to say  more, but his attention was suddenly drawn to the setting sun in front of them. “I think it’s time now,” he said and slowly began pushing himself up.</p><p>“Yeah,” Minho echoed as he, too, stood.  “Time to see what that giant, shucking rock is all about.”  </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two made it back just in time for 
  <span>The Gathering. A giant, brightly burning fire was lit in the middle, right in front of the odd rock as they took their seats on the benches next to Aris, Sonya, and Harriet. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t long before Brenda and Jorge 
  <span>found them, too, closely followed by Gally and Frypan, who came bearing drinks for everyone. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas took a sip of the drink, only half 
  <span>surprised to find it to be Gally’s famous brew. He’d drank this same stuff on one of his first night’s in the glade… with Newt…  someone he wished wasn’t confined to bed at the moment… he would have loved this place. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>He was drawn from thought by the sight 
  <span>of a man walking out onto the beach: Vince. The chatter around him was quick to die out. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“We have come a long way together!” 
  <span>Vince suddenly boomed to the group. “Many have sacrificed so much to make this place possible… New friends, new family…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The man’s eyes drifted slowly over the
  <span>many people sitting in front of him and Thomas felt his heart twist. Only 5/13 had made it here…4/13 since Gally hadn’t even been with them most of the time… 3/13 if he didn’t count himself… </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“So, here’s to the ones who couldn’t be 
  <span>here! Here’s to the friends we lost! This place is for you. For all of us…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas, among many others, raised their
  <span>cups to the air. To all those who couldn’t be here.  To all the ones he’d lost. Teresa. Winston. Chuck. Alby. Jeff. Clint. Mike. Jack. Tim. Billy… All the other members of the glade… </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“But this,” Vince gestured to the rock
  <span>behind him. “This is for them…” he turned back to face the group again. “So, in your own time, in your own way…” he lifted the knife in the air, then stabbed it down onto the table. “Come make your peace. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Welcome to the Safe Haven!” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>A chorus of cheering erupted from the
  <span>group of immunes and Thomas raised his cup higher before taking a sip. This </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> for them. He only wished that they were here to see it. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>With that said, Vince simply left the
  <span>kids to do what they wished and The Gathering turned into a party of sorts. There was lots of drinking, lots of laughing and fighting, just like in the glade. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Even so, the longer the night went on, 
  <span>the more Thomas became too whipped to really participate. Mentally </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> physically. Sonya had been right, his exhaustion was catching up to him. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>been sleeping all this time. He hadn’t really had time to cope with everything that had happened. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Teresa was gone, his oldest friend, and
  <span>Thomas had </span>
  <em>
    <span>almost </span>
  </em>
  <span>lost Newt, too. It was a miracle he was still breathing at the point. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas had been sitting with Minho in 
  <span>front of a campfire when the boy decided to speak up. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Uh… Thomas?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas turned to see him holding the
  <span>familiar necklace with the metal cylinder at the end. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“This was in Your Pocket…” Minho
  <span>explained and offered the trinket to him. “I figured I’d keep it safe for ya…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Without a word, Thomas reached over 
  <span>and took the chain. It was the necklace, the last thing Newt had given to him before he’d succumbed to the Flare. Before he nearly lost his life… </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Minho stood and walked away after 
  <span>patting Thomas on the back. When he was gone, Thomas began wrapping the necklace absently around his fingers. Why had it been so important for Newt to get it to him? </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas was broken out of thought by 
  <span>the feeling of something suddenly shifting on the necklace. Confused, he turned back to it, shocked to see that he’d opened the top. What he saw inside, though, was enough to make his heart drop. It was two rolled up pieces of paper. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas debated on just leaving it there,  
  <span>but deep down, he knew it was wrong. Alive or not, Newt had given him the necklace for the reason and, in turn, the paper. It was wrong of him not to see what Newt wanted him to see. Just in case. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>When he pulled out the paper, though, he
  <span>sighed. A letter. Of course. What else could it be but one last gut punch to him. Shakily, Thomas unrolled the paper and began reading. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Dear Thomas,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This is the first letter I can remember
  </span></em>
  <em>
    <span>writing. Obviously I don't know if I've written any letters before the Maze. But even if it's not my first, it's likely to be my last. I want you to know that I'm not afraid. About dying anyways or forgetting. It's losing myself to this virus, that's what scares me. So every night I've been saying their names out loud. Alby, Winston, Chuck. And I just repeat them over and over like a prayer. And it all comes flooding back. Just the little things. Like when the sun used to hit the glade at the perfect moment, right before it'd slip beneath the walls. And I remember the taste of Frypans stew. I'd never thought I'd miss that stuff so much. I remember you. I remember you first coming up in the box, just a scared little greenie, who couldn't even remember his own name. But from the moment you ran into the maze, I knew that I would follow you anywhere. And I have. We all have. If I could do it all over again I would, and I wouldn't change a thing. My hope for you is when you're looking back, years from now, is that you'll stay the same. The future is in your hands now Tommy, and I know you'll find a way to do what's right, you always have. Take care of everyone for me. And take care of yourself. You deserve to be happy, Thank you for being my friend. Goodbye, Mate</span>
  </em>
  <em></em>
    <span></span><br/>
<em>
    <span><br/>
</span>
  </em>
  <em></em>
  <span>Newt</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> “Thomas…!” </em>
</p><p>At the sound of a familiar voice, Thomas opened his eyes with a startled gasp and shot up into a sitting position. “Hello?” He cast a look around the area he found himself in, confused when he found four hallways branching off into darkness in every direction. </p><p><em> “Tom, please!” </em> Another voice screamed. “ <em> Help me!” </em></p><p>Without wasting a second, Thomas pushed himself to his feet. “Teresa?” He spun in a tight circle as he tried to locate where her voice had come from. “Teresa!”</p><p>
  <em> “Tom!” </em>
</p><p>Thomas made a quick decision and bolted to the hallway on his right. When he tried to enter, however, he found himself blocked by an invisible wall.</p><p>“Teresa!” Thomas called as loudly as he could and pounded his fist against the invisible wall. “Teresa, where are you?”</p><p>
  <em> “Tommy!” </em>
</p><p>Thomas jumped at the echoing voice coming from behind him. He whipped around, but discovered nothing but another hallway.</p><p>
  <em> “Tommy, help!” </em>
</p><p>Cautiously, Thomas turned. “Newt?”</p><p><em> “Tommy!” </em> The boy’s off voice suddenly turned fearful. <em> “Tommy, help! Help me, Tommy!” </em></p><p>Thomas crossed the area in a few short strides, but he found himself blocked off again by another invisible wall.  He pressed his hands against it desperately and peered into the hall, searching for any side of his friend. “Newt!”</p><p>
  <em> “Tom!” </em>
</p><p><em> “Thomas!” </em> This time coming from his left. <em> “Thomas, where are you, you Shank?” </em></p><p><em> “Thomas!” </em> On his right. <em> “Help!” </em></p><p><em> “Minho? Frypan?” </em>Thomas immediately wished he hadn’t asked.</p><p>From behind him, a different voice screamed. “Thomas!”</p><p>“Brenda!”</p><p>Her voice was quickly covered up by the others.</p><p>
  <em> “Tommy!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Tom!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Help us!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Where are you?” </em>
</p><p>Thomas whipped in every direction, no longer sure where any of the voices were coming from. His ears were ringing with the sound of their blood-curdling screams and cries for help.</p><p>
  <em> “Tom!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Thomas! Help me!” </em>
</p><p>Frantically, Thomas headed to the hallway on his left, only to again find himself blocked off. As the cries continued, he checked the hallway on the right to no avail either.</p><p>
  <em> “Tommy, where are you?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Thomas!” </em>
</p><p>“Teresa!” Thomas called in no direction in particular. “Newt!”</p><p>“Tom—!”</p><p>“TOMMY, HURRY—!”</p><p>Thomas suddenly awoke with a startled gasp. He pushed himself up, terrified that he was too late, but he discovered nothing but the medicine hut around him.</p><p>It was just a dream, Thomas told himself as he eased back onto the cot. He must’ve just had too much to drink. A lot had happened tonight, he could still vaguely hear the sounds of partying this late. He tried squeezing his eyes shut, but his friends’ hopeless cries still rang clearly in his ears.</p><p>“Tommy, help!”</p><p>“Tom!”</p><p>“Thomas!”</p><p>“Help us!”</p><p>When he’d finally had enough, Thomas sat back up with a frustrated grunt. It won’t hurt to check, he told himself and pushed himself from the cot. His legs were a bit shaky under him and his head and side ached slightly, but it was only enough to make him sway for a moment. He was moving out of the den in a heartbeat.  </p><p>The sky above him was dark and the moon was high. Behind him, the waves crashed onto shore with a swoosh and the crickets chirped noisily off into the forest. It was late, that was for sure. Even if the party still raged on.</p><p>Despite his body’s slight protest, Thomas made it to the other medicine hut in record time.</p><p>The boy on the cot didn’t move a muscle when Thomas charged inside. He was eerily still and unmoving in the dim light. So still, Thomas was scared that his dream really <em> had </em>been real somehow.</p><p>He knew the notion was absolutely ridiculous, but the fear that crossed him was something Thomas couldn’t shake. What if Newt really <em> was </em>dead, though? What if Thomas’ dream was a sign? A warning?</p><p>Anxiously, Thomas fell to his knees at Newt’s beside, then carefully reached over and placed his palm flat on the boy’s chest. Terror flashed through him when, for a moment, he couldn’t feel anything, but his terror soon turned to relief at the feeling of movement under his palm.</p><p>Newt’s chest rose and fell softly, his heartbeat was slow as he slept. He was still alive.</p><p>“Thomas?”</p><p>Thomas jumped, hand dropping from Newt’s chest as he whipped around. In the doorway, Sonya stared at him.</p><p>“What’re you doing here so late?” Her voice sounded exhausted.</p><p>“I just woke up,” Thomas said. “Erm…Why… Why are <em> you </em>still here?”</p><p>Sonya rubbed at her face tiredly and leaned against the doorframe. “Was havin’ a good time,” she admitted. “Was doin’ one last check ‘fore I…” she fought back a yawn. “Before I went to bed… but, I saw someone coming in and turned around…”</p><p>“Yeah, I was just…” Thomas cast an uncertain glance to the boy sleeping behind him. “I.. I had a… dream… and…” he winced. “Had to make sure he was okay…”</p><p>“Oh…” Sonya blinked at him lazily. “Wanna… talk about it…?”</p><p>“Not… really…” Thomas admitted.</p><p>“Uh....Do you wanna just.. <em> talk? </em> Get your mind  off of it? When I Have nightmares, just talking about stuff helps <em> me </em> focus…”</p><p>Thomas sighed, but surrendered a small nod. Talking couldn’t hurt, he didn’t think. He wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon anyways.</p><p>“Okay,” Sonya smiled softly at him, then nodded behind her. “Let’s talk outside, yeah? Give him some quiet…”</p><p>A wave of uneasiness flashed through Thomas at the offer, but he shook it off. Newt’s alive, he reminded himself. It was just a dream. He’s fine. They all are. So, after a final look at his friend, Thomas exited the hut, then took a seat next to Sonya outside.</p><p>“So, How are <em> you </em>feeling?” Sonya asked quietly. “Besides the party hangover. Injury-wise, I mean…”</p><p>“Uh...It aches a little,” Thomas admitted. “But, it doesn’t hurt too bad. I can move around pretty well.”</p><p>“Good…” Sonya murmured. “I still think you need a bit more rest...but it’s good to work up your strength a little bit. Just… Jus’ don’t end up...<em> over </em>working…”</p><p>When she didn’t finish, Thomas turned to find her half asleep against her fist. “Um… Do you need to—?”</p><p>“I’m good, I’m good!” Sonya startled quickly. “I’m awake! Just gotta...” She stretched out her arm with another yawn, then shuddered slightly.</p><p>Thomas was just shocked hat she was trying so desperately to listen to him. He’d never really thought of her as this mothering type and, yet here she was, forcing herself to be awake to listen to him.</p><p>“Sonya…” Thomas asked slowly. “Why are <em> you </em>… here?”</p><p>“I told you,” Sonya chirped. “Was having fun, lost track of time, came to do a final check…”</p><p>“N-No,” Thomas shook his head. “Why are you here at the medicine— why are you a medic?”</p><p>“Well,” Sonya shrugged. “Medically or not, I’ve always enjoyed helping people... Back in the maze, I was second in command and, in turn, the caretaker, so… I heard about a lot of problems… I didn’t mind, though…”</p><p>“So you <em> weren’t </em> a medic in the maze?”</p><p>Sonya shook her head. “Didn’t start any of that until I met Mary and The Right Arm… I guess that’s when I kinda learned that being a medic was more than just slapping a bandage on someone… Was the fact that Mary seemed to care unconditionally for people she’d never met before that drew me in…”</p><p>“So… <em> Mary </em>taught you the skills?”</p><p>“<em> Some,” </em>Sonya answered. “I was kinda torn between being a medic or a soldier, so I did both…. For a while, it worked…” she turned to Thomas, expression suddenly uneasy. “But, then, I was taken to WCKD and I learned that I had a choice to make… I could either do what I could to heal my friends, or do what I could to protect them…”</p><p>Thomas leaned forwards curiously. “And you chose to… <em> heal </em>them?”</p><p>Sonya raised an eyebrow at him. “The world has enough soldiers, don’t you think?”</p><p>Sonya had a point, Thomas realized. Of every 10 soldiers here, there only seemed to be one medic. Not to mention, Thomas only ever saw Sonya with Newt.</p><p>“I did what I could, which wasn’t a lot,” Sonya continued. “I offered myself as a console to whoever needed it and did what I could to bandage and fix… but, I guess it kinda wore off with how long I was in there… it didn’t really come back until I saw what needed to be done…” she cast a sad look to the hut behind them. “For a friend. For you. For Newt.”</p><p>“I’m… I’m glad you did,” Thomas said earnestly. “I’m glad you guys didn’t give up on either of us…”</p><p>Sonya chuckled. “It was kinda weird how it all happened,” she admitted. “When they were coming back… ‘n I was listening to what was going on, I had no idea that I’d jump into action like I did when I saw the both of you…. T’s like.. It’s like something just… <em> kicked </em> in, y’know? Like something <em> clicked… </em> especially when I saw <em> Newt…” </em></p><p>At that, Thomas raised an eyebrow. “Really?”</p><p>“Weird, right?” Sonya chuckled. “Like something in me shifted. I jus’ felt like I <em>couldn’t</em> lose him.”</p><p>Something tugged at Thomas’ subconscious, like a vague memory at her words. It sounded almost… <em> familiar, </em>he just couldn’t place his finger on why. He longed to try and discover more, but, beside him, Sonya was slowly nodding off. “You should head to bed, Sonya,” he told her gently. “I’m okay now.”</p><p>Sonya lifted her head slightly. “You sure?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Thomas answered. “It <em> helped  </em>talking about Newt, actually… knowing he’s okay…”</p><p>Sonya turned and smiled sleepily at him. “I’m glad...” She laid her hand on his shoulder and gave it one final squeeze, before she pushed herself off the ground. “Get some sleep, Thomas.”</p><p>“You, too...” Thomas told her and stood as well. Sonya waved at him briefly as she turned away, but once she started walking, Thomas looked back to the hut behind him.</p><p>One more check, he told himself and headed inside.  </p><p>Newt still laid peacefully on the cot, no different from when Thomas had last seen him. Though, now that the screams from his earlier dream had faded, he could hear now the slow, soft puffs of the boy’s breath.</p><p>He’s okay, Thomas reminded himself as he took a seat next to the cot, then gently grabbed Newt’s hand. It was warmer now. Full of life.</p><p>Newt was alive, he told himself and thread his finger’s between the unconscious boy’s. And, he was holding on.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Newt had been escaping with Thomas, </span>
  <span>Minho, and Gally while he fought back against the disease that threatened to take his own mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He remembered that Gally and Minho </span>
  <span>had left to go get help and he remembered the feeling of hopelessness when he realized that they probably wouldn’t make it back in time. He remembered thanking his friends and he remembered giving Thomas his letter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The last thing he remembered from that </span>
  <span>time was the flash of a knife, then darkness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt definitely hadn’t been expecting to </span>
  <span>wake up from any of this. He’d accepted the fact that he probably wouldn’t make it out of this alive. That’s why it was all the more surprising when noises began flooding his ears. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Newt, can you hear me?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Was that Minho? Newt could hear his </span>
  <span>own ragged breaths echoing in his ears over the whir of helicopter blades above him. With his dwindling strength, he found enough energy to open his eyes. Above him, Minho and Gally’s worried faces swam into view. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You need to hang on, okay?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Minho </span>
  <span>sounded as if he were underwater.</span>
  <em>
    <span> “You just need to
  </span></em>
  <em>
    </em>
  <span>hang on.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt wasn’t so sure he could. Minho </span>
  <span>suddenly disappeared from view and Newt tried to follow where he’d gone off to, but Gally reached over and took his face in his red-stained hands. Gently, he moved Newt’s head so the two were facing each other again. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Look at me, Newt,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Gally said, voice </span>
  <span>echoing and sounding even further away than Minho’s. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Come on, Newt… look at me.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Through half-lidded eyes, Newt met his </span>
  <span>gaze. He could hear his own shaky breaths turning to wheezes and his rapid heartbeat reverberated in his ears like a hammer on cloth. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“...Be okay…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Gally was saying </span>
  <span>desperately.  </span>
  <em>
    <span>“...going to be okay…” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>At the butt of the jet, Newt’s eyes </span>
  <span>picked up the sign of commotion. He slowly dragged his gaze from Gally and tried to focus on what was going on over there. A group of people were all crowded around something on the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“...Losing too much blood…!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“...bring those bandages…!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt tracked the sight of boots laid out </span>
  <span>across the floor and he suddenly realized that it was some</span>
  <em>
    <span>one </span>
  </em>
  <span>on the ground. He realized that only one person was missing from the group crowding.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span> “Tommy…?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>His voice was barely a quiet </span>
  <span>croak, even to his own ears, and he soon learned that speaking had been a mistake. A white hot pain suddenly flashed through his chest, stealing any breath he had left with a strangled choke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> He gasped sharply in pain, which turned </span>
  <span>out to be another bad idea and, this time, a cough shuddered through him. At that, something in his chest suddenly dislodged and the pain began building up worse than he’d ever felt it. It got so bad, Newt began to go numb. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Newt…!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Someone called desperately.  </span>
  <em>
    <span>“...Need some help…!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Even though he could feel himself </span>
  <span>slipping away, though, Newt kept his gaze locked on the boots on the floor. On Tommy’s feet, the only part of him that he could see. Someone was calling his name, trying to draw him back, but this time, Newt didn’t look. More people entered his view point. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“...Hold on…!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It all hurt so much and, with everything </span>
  <span>that had happened, Newt just… </span>
  <em>
    <span>couldn’t. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He was tired of it all. Tired of never being able to be happy… tired of never being given a </span>
  <em>
    <span>break </span>
  </em>
  <span>from this all. Before he knew it, his eyes were slowly slipping shut and his body began to go numb. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Newt…!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>A voice practically begged. </span>
  <span>“Please! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please don’t leave us again!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>When the darkness came, all Newt had </span>
  <span>the energy to do was welcome it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the longest time, Newt drifted in </span>
  <span>the black. At least it was calm here, at least nothing really mattered. It was peaceful here. Comforting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The silence in The Nothing didn’t </span>
  <span>last very long, however. The calm was broken by a familiar voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Lizzie!” </span>
  </em>
  A boy’s voice giggled. 
  <em>
    <span>“Lizzie, </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>you’re supposed to eat the ice cream with your mouth, not your whole face!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A young girl’s voice giggled back, joyous 
  <span>and high pitched. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The sound of a dog barking entered
  <span>Newt’s subconscious, then suddenly, color exploded across his vision. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>A dark brown, shaggy dog weaved
  <span>between Newt’s legs carefully, then bounded across the green field to the spot where the 3 blonde haired people were standing. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The one on the far left was a woman.
  <span>Next to her, the two young blonde haired children held each other’s hands. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt found himself staring, confused, as
  <span>the woman crouched down to the children’s level and took the boy by the shoulders. He couldn’t quite make out any of their faces.</span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“If anything happens…” she said, her
  <span>voice sounded like it was right in front of him and she talked in the same funny way that Newt did.  “You’ll need to look after your sister… be a big boy and do that for me, yeah?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The boy nodded. “Okay, Mummy…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Both of you…” the woman reached
  <span>forwards and ran her fingers through the girl’s messy hair, then cupped her cheek gently.  “Things are changing… so, you need to watch out for each other…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>She suddenly latched her hands beneath
  <span>the girl’s shoulders and lifted her into the air, unbothered by the girl’s playful screech. The boy laughed as well as he clung to the woman’s leg. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Then, all of a sudden, Newt’s vision cut
  <span>to darkness again, but the same woman’s voice began talking again. “Please don’t take them! Please! I’ll do anything! I’ll do—!” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Her voice was cut off by the sudden
  <span>sound of a gunshot, then new voices began speaking, men that sounded scarier than her. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“We don’t need the boy, but he could be
  <span>used as a control subject…”</span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Young man, your new name is Newt.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The younger boy’s voice whimpered in
  <span>response. “Where’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lizzie?” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have a sister, Newt, so there’s
  <span>no need to talk about that girl anymore…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>A vague image suddenly began flashing in
  <span>Newt’s mind of a long gray hallway with a window along the side. He found himself peering down into a room, eyes glued to the tiny figure of a messy haired blonde girl. She didn’t seem to notice him, though… she never did. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s my sister, Lizzie!” </span>
  </em>
  The young 
  boy’s triumphant voice echoed in his mind. 
</p><p>
  <span>Then, suddenly, he found himself in that
  <span>room, arms wrapped tightly around the smaller blonde girl, Lizzie, in what was his last goodbye. Beside him, the familiar face of a dark haired boy stood patiently. He found himself crying, gutted over his departure from her after he’d promised his mother that he’d look out for her. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>He held her face in his hands, trying his
  <span>best to memorize every feature of it, as he was terrified that he would forget it. As he went through the process of entering the maze, Newt repeated her name over and over silently to himself. Lizzie. Lizzie. Lizzie. Lizzie. Lizzie. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Finally, Newt found himself in the
  <span>bottom of the box, terrified and confused out of his right mind as it shot towards the sky. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The faces of Minho and Alby staring
  <span>down at him the first time he entered the maze would be something Newt would never forget. But, the face of the little blonde girl that he’d tried so hard to remember was lost.</span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>After that, much to Newt’s own horror
  <span>and confusion, the memories began to fade into darkness and he found himself fading back into his own body as well. </span>
</span></p><p><span>Sounds began trickling back to his ears </span>voices, the soft crashing of water, birds and crickets chirping.</p><p>
  <span>At the feeling of aching pain throughout
  <span>his entire body, Newt let out a slight groan. He was confused on why the bloody hell he was even waking up at all, much less to this much pain. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Then, suddenly, there was a singular soft
  <span>voice, a voice he’d thought had never sounded so familiar, drawing him back to consciousness. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Newt? Can you hear me?” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt could, but didn’t respond.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you open your eyes for me?” The
  <span>same soft voice asked. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>As much as Newt didn’t want to, he felt 
  <span>obligated to obey. Perhaps in hopes of finding out why that voice sounded so familiar. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>His eyes were half glued shut and it took
  <span>a lot of effort to even pry them open, much less to see. But, much to Newt’s horror, when his vision finally did clear, he found himself staring up at a familiar face shrouded in messy, blonde hair. </span>
</span></p><p>
  The single word tumbled from his mouth 
  <span>before he could stop himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Lizzie…?” </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After Thomas had been cleared from the Med-hut about a week ago, both he and Minho had been doing what they could on the island to pull their weight usefully. Sometimes, it meant building, sometimes it meant hunting, hell, they’d even gathered island supplies before. However, neither of them ever complained too much about the work. </p><p>Even though they checked on Newt regularly, it was getting nerve wracking waiting to see if he lived or not. They tried not to spend every waking moment at his bedside, even if they did end up spending a lot of time there. Work was a good distraction.</p><p>Today, Thomas and Minho had been helping to build a structure in camp. When Lunchtime rolled around, they’d decided to head up to the cave to eat. The way up there was a lot quicker and easier now that Thomas’s injury didn’t protest against too much movement anymore. It still ached, but it felt a lot better.</p><p>The two had been sitting on the edge of the cave, eating sandwiches and talking about stuff when, suddenly, Thomas’ eye caught movement down on the beach.</p><p>He paused and a frown spread across his face as he squinted down at the person who was waving their arms in their direction. “Is that… <em> Frypan…?” </em></p><p>Minho cast a look down as he took another nonchalant bite of his sandwich. “I think so,” he murmured, mouth full. “What’s the Shank doing?”</p><p>On the beach, Frypan stopped waving his arms at them to cup his hands over his mouth instead. He shouted something, but it was too far away to really make out.</p><p><em> “In loops?” </em> Minho shot out a random guess at the yell.</p><p>“I dunno…” Thomas admitted. When Frypan didn’t stop trying to get their attention, though,  he finally decided to get up. “I think we’d better go check it out. Just in case.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Minho agreed, then shoved the rest of his sandwich in his mouth as he stood. “Could <em>definitely</em> be more important than <em>Lunch.” </em></p><p>The two began making their way steadily down the side of the mountain again. When they were about at the halfway point, Frypan tried calling out to them again.</p><p>“It’s soup?” Minho tried.</p><p>Thomas held out a hand and dropped down a little closer. <em> “What?” </em></p><p>Frantically, Frypan pointed in the direction of the Med-huts and it suddenly clicked in Thomas’ mind.</p><p>“It’s Newt!” Frypan called desperately. “Newt!”</p><p>Both Thomas and Minho exchanged a startled glance, but it had clearly clicked for both of them. Not a word was exchanged and the two suddenly began tearing down the mountain, moving faster than Thomas had ever felt.</p><p>They raced past Frypan on the beach, who turned to try to catch up with them.</p><p>Every possible thing was racing through Thomas’ mind as the two came to a stop in front of the hut. What if he’d stopped breathing? What if it was a fever? Or The Flare again? Had the cure not worked? Was he <em> dead? </em></p><p>The two boy exchanged a weary look before finally heading into the Med-Hut.</p><p>Sonya was seated on the edge of the cot, the bell of a stethoscope pressed against Newt’s chest. For a moment, Thomas expected the worst.</p><p>He opened his mouth to say something, but before anything could even leave his lips, Newt’s eyes suddenly fluttered open and he turned his head in their direction.</p><p>When he saw who was standing there, a smile spread across his face and he moved to sit up, but stopped not two moments later with a grunt of pain.</p><p>Sonya was on her feet in an instant and set the stethoscope beside her so she could ease Newt back onto the cot. After that, she turned around knowingly. “Be gentle,” she said and took a step back. “He hasn’t been awake for very long…”</p><p>Newt let out a surprised noise when Minho crashed into him with a gentle hug. A small, light chuckle was quick to follow as he wrapped his arms around the boy’s back, even though his face was scrunched slightly in pain. “Good t’ see you, too, Minho…” his voice was unexpectedly croaky.</p><p>“You <em> Shank!” </em> Minho hissed into the boy’s  shoulder. “I thought you were <em> dead!” </em></p><p>“Stop your worryin’, ‘m alright...” Newt  answered calmly as he gave Minho’s back a small pat.</p><p>When Minho finally pulled away, Thomas stepped forwards, and the boy’s brown eyes drifted to him. He gave a warm, but sheepish smile. “Hey, Tommy…”</p><p>A bright grin spread across Thomas’s face as he jumped forwards and threw his arms around Newt as well. He’d been hoping for this very moment for nearly two weeks now. “I’m sorry, Newt,” he said in the boy’s ear. “I’m so sorry…!”</p><p>Newt’s arms wrapped gently around his back, then gave a weak squeeze. “No need for that…!” He murmured back. “You did what ya had to do…”  </p><p>Thomas pulled away so he could properly meet Newt’s eyes. “But, I should’ve been faster, I should’ve—!”</p><p>“Enough of that,” Newt told him sternly, though his voice was very weak. “Not your fault, Thomas… You got that?”</p><p>Thomas wanted to say more, but he was prevented from doing so when the curtains suddenly shot open again and Brenda, Gally, And Frypan came charging through.</p><p><em> “Newt!” </em> Frypan cheered the second he  saw the boy’s open eyes and, within seconds, he was squeezing Newt in a hug too.</p><p>“Oh!” Newt squeaked out another surprised chuckle, this one a bit more painful. “The <em> lot </em> of you… so <em> affectionate…” </em></p><p>“Man, you <em> scared </em> us!” Frypan exclaimed  as he pulled back. “We weren’t sure if you’d get better…”</p><p>The other two nodded in agreement as Newt’s hand came up to rub at a specific spot on his chest.</p><p>“We were… we were starting to think you weren’t coming back,” Gally added.</p><p>Brenda nodded. “You’ve been sleeping for over 3 weeks…!”</p><p>“Well, he’s going to need a lot more sleep if he wants to get better,” Sonya explained to basically everyone in the room. Behind her, it was suddenly clear how hard Newt was trying to stay awake. “And, Lunch is almost over, we need to get back to work.”</p><p>“Are you Sure?” Minho asked.</p><p>“‘M alright…” Newt promised sleepily and blinked at the group through half-lidded eyes. “Go ‘n carry on wi’ your days… ‘m not goin’ anywhere…”</p><p>Thomas wasn’t so sure about the notion, but he nodded anyways. The point that’d been made was a good one. Newt <em> did </em>need sleep. Probably now more than ever.</p><p>“Everyone go back to what you were doing, you can see him later,” Sonya chided the group first, then turned to Newt. “As for you, I’m going to bring you something soft to eat and, when you wake up again, you can eat it, yeah?”</p><p>Newt’s eyes had fallen shut, but he nodded anyways.</p><p>That was the last thing Thomas saw before he finally left the med-hut <span>His friends were happy, playfully pushing at each other as they went down the beach. But, he couldn’t stop feeling uneasy. </span></p><p>
  <span>“Thomas,” Sonya announced as she </span>
  <span>came outside. “I can see your shadow from in there. You’re lingering.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas knew Newt was doing better, </span>
  <span>but he couldn’t stop imagining the worst. His cold, dead eyes, gasping breaths. “Will… will he be alright?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sonya smiled gently. She reached out </span>
  <span>and laid a hand on his arm. “He will thanks to you. He wouldn’t have made it without that second cure.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But… do you think it’ll last…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If Brenda drops, then I’ll be worried. </span>
  <span>But, I’ve been worried for too long. I need a break from it for just a bit.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But…” Thomas glanced uncomfortably </span>
  <span>to the den. “He’s…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thomas,” Sonya squeezed his arm. </span>
  <span>“I’ve seen him at his worst. He’s a hell of a lot better now, okay? His lungs have cleared considerably, his heart rates back to normal. His eyes are normal. He’s not sick anymore.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas looked down at her, then finally </span>
  <span>forced himself to sigh. He’s not sick anymore. He told himself. He’s not sick. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, come on,” Sonya pushed him </span>
  <span>forwards with a grin. “We’ve got work to do.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When dinner time had finally rolled
  <span>around, Sonya had ended up getting caught up in something. She’d talked so fast as she shoved a plate into Thomas’ hands that he’d barely caught what it was before she was gone again. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Basically, the only thing Thomas had
  <span>got was “take this to Newt, stay, watch, needs to eat, and have to go…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Beside him, Minho shot him a look. “Did
  <span>you catch any of that?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Uhh…” Thomas looked to the plate in his
  <span>hand, then back up to Sonya who was halfway across the camp. “Not really,” he admitted. “I think she wants me to take this to Newt.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” Minho nodded briefly. “That makes
  <span>sense…” he turned to where Sonya had run off, one hand shielding over his eyes as he tracked her. “Wonder what’s got her in such a rush.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas agreed with a half-shrug. “Right, 
  <span>well…” he lifted the plate slightly. “I guess I gotta go take this to him. You wanna come with?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Erm…” Minho grimace. “Actually, I’ve
  <span>got a couple of things to finish if I want to make it to bed before midnight. You do, too… so, if I were you, I’d hurry…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas scoffed slightly and rolled his
  <span>eyes as he turned around. “Thanks for the reassurance, Minho.” He called back to his friend as he took off across the beach. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Happy to help, Shank!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Either way, Thomas couldn’t find the
  <span>energy to be upset. He was comforted by the fact that Newt was awake—that Newt was even </span>
  <em>
    <span>alive! </span>
  </em>
  <span>He felt that some late night chores were worth at least that much. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>When Thomas entered the mud-hut,
  <span>Newt was still peacefully asleep. He headed inside and set the plate of bread on the end table. The boy didn’t move a muscle on the cot. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Sonya </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>told him that Newt ‘needed to </span>
  eat’ and Thomas wasn’t one to question her more broad knowledge on the subject, but he still felt back for having to wake Newt up. He knew the boy needed sleep, but he also knew he needed to eat as well. So, as much as it pained him, Thomas reached over and laid a hand on Newt’s shoulder. 
</p><p>
  <span>“Newt,” He murmured gently and gave his
  <span>shoulder a small shake. “Hey, Newt… Buddy… wake up…!” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt’s breath hitched sharply and he
  <span>exhaled with a slight groan. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut before allowing them the flutter open. When he saw who was standing there, he frowned. “Tommy…?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Hey…” Thomas smiled gently. “How are
  <span>you feeling…?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Ugh...Bloody </span>
  <em>
    <span>exhausted…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Newt </span>
  admitted with a yawn. “And, you’ve said I’ve been sleeping for 3 weeks?” 
</p><p>
  <span>“A bit over, actually,” Thomas replied and
  <span>crouched down next to the cot. “You hungry?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt perked up slightly at that, but his 
  <span>expression was still weary. “Right…” he murmured. He tried to sit up, but was quick to collapse heavily back onto the cot and blankets with a gasp of pain. His hand flew to his chest again and pressed there as he tried to regain his breath. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“You alright?” Thomas asked cautiously. </span>“Do you need help? Should I get Sonya?” 
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no, it’s fine…!” Newt protested
  <span>quickly. “No need to get anyone, bloody wound’s been botherin’ me probably since I got here….”</span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas thought back to the bottles of
  <span>medication he’d been given back when he was in the med-huts. “I’m sure Sonya’s got pain meds or something…”  </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright,” Newt mumbled. “No need
  <span>for drugs, just hurts when I move too much. Doesn’t hurt when I’m still— I could use a hand, though,  if you’re offering...” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Uh… yeah, sure...” Thomas stood up
  <span>and held his hands in front of Newt cautiously. “If you need me to stop or if you need—!” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Just bloody get on with it,” Newt shot
  <span>back. “‘F I need you to stop, you’ll know. But, I’m willing to feel a little pain to try and </span>
  <em>
    <span>eat.” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Right… Right, okay…” Thomas slid his
  <span>arms beneath Newt’s back carefully. “Ready? One, two…” he lifted the boy off the cot as smoothly as he could. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt’s hand clutched tightly at his
  <span>chest, but even though he grimaced and puffed out breaths to try and calm himself, he made no complaints. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Almost there…” Thomas positioned him
  <span>so he was in front of the wall with his legs over the side of the cot, then gently leaned him back. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“There </span>
  </em>
  <span>we go…”</span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Thanks...” Newt gasped out between
  <span>clenched teeth. He let out a small cough, but still tried to shoot Thomas a smile. His cheeks were red and Thomas could feel his own heating up somewhat awkwardly. “Thanks, Tommy…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas smiled back, trying to calm himself. as he reached
  <span>over and grabbed the plate. He set it in Newt’s lap carefully. “Uh... Can’t tell you much other than it was shoved into my hands by Sonya.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Newt’s hands shook when he </span>
  <span>reached down and took the bread. He kept his eyes trained on the plate as he spoke.  “Where’s she been off to?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dunno,” Thomas replied. “Didn’t catch
  <span>much in her haste. She just told me to give this to you.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Good on her, I suppose…” Newt
  <span>murmured. He lifted the bread from the plate, but didn’t seem too excited to eat it. “Not exactly the most balanced meal, is it?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas shrugged. “She knows more than </span>
  <span>I do in this department. I’ve decided not to question.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm… Wasn’t aware she was a Med-Jack
  <span>type…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Me neither,” Thomas murmured back
  <span>and chuckled. “She claims she became one after the maze, though. Trained as a medic by Mary and a soldier by The Right Arm.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt finally took a bite of the piece of
  <span>bread with an amused puff of breath. He grimaced slightly as he chewed, but still swallowed it. “Thanks for the… Thanks for the cure, by the way…” he said earnestly. “Sonya told me you were the one who had it. She said I probably wouldn’t have made it without it…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for not dying,” Thomas </span>
  answered. He remembered something at the topic and reached into his pocket for Newt’s necklace. “Here…” 
</p><p>
  <span>When the boy saw what was in his hand,
  <span>though, he frowned and swallowed his second bite of bread. “Keep it, Tommy…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“You sure?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Course. I gave it to </span>
  <em>
    <span>you… </span>
  </em>
  <span>don’t have any </span>
  need for it again hopefully…” Newt offered a small smile. “What’s in there,” he tapped his temple. “Is also in here… Think of it as a gift, yeah?” 
</p><p>
  <span>“I-If you’re sure…” Thomas replied
  <span>quietly and pocketed the necklace. When he turned back, Newt had set the bread he’d been working on. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Tommy…?” His voice was suddenly
  <span>soft. “Mind if I tell you something? That might make you think I’m crazy…?”  </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think you’re crazy,” Thomas
  <span>replied. At the boy’s sheepish look, though he simply nodded. “Uh... s-sure I don’t mind…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Okay…” Newt shifted his shoulders,
  <span>then took a shaky breath. His jaw clenched and unclenched before he spoke. “When I was asleep...um… I-I had these… </span>
  <em>
    <span>dreams… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Or… or more like m-</span>
  <em>
    <span>memories </span>
  </em>
  <span>I think…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Curiously, Thomas leaned forwards.
  <span>“Memories?” How and why was Newt suddenly remembering things? Were they even real? </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Do you remember in the maze how…
  <span>when people were stung.. they went through The Changing…? And… And, they remembered things from… from </span>
  <em>
    <span>before?” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas nodded seriously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been… I’ve been thinking…” Newt 
  <span>swallowed. “What if… what if the Griever Serum was a manufactured variation of The </span>
  <em>
    <span>Flare? </span>
  </em>
  <span>And… And, because I </span>
  <em>
    <span>had
  </span></em>
  <span>the Flare… I was able to remember things like in The Changing…?”</span>
</span></p><p><span>Thomas paused in thought. Could</span> <span>that be </span><em><span>possible?</span></em><span> He couldn’t quite remember what had been in the Griever Serum, but he wouldn’t hold it against WCKD to do something like that… But, What if The Flare had just messed with Newt’s head and given him false memories? “I...I…” </span></p><p>
  <span>“Tell me I'm Crazy, Tommy—!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not crazy.” Thomas shot back
  <span>just as quickly. He reached forwards and laid his hand on Newt’s, not even realizing he’d done it until later. “You’re not crazy, Newt… I’m… I’m just not sure if your memories are real, or… y’know… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Flare projected.” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt looked up at him, eyes wide and face reddening again. “How… How </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> we know, then?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well…” Thomas began hesitantly. He
  <span>wasn’t sure he was the best qualified to discuss this, his memories were just as fragmented, but the only person he thought to have </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> clue about this was… well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I remember a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little </span>
  </em>
  <span>from before… if you tell me what </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> remembered, maybe we can compare and see if anything matches up…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt took another bite of the bread and
  <span>nodded nervously. “I-I’m Not sure if you can tell me anything about </span>
  <em>
    <span>this, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but there was a brown dog and </span>
  <em>
    <span>woman </span>
  </em>
  <span>… and-and she talked like </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> do…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“With an accent.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-Yeah… um… she was blonde and-</span>
  and she was talking to the kids, 
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>kids…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kids?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Blonde haired kids, yeah… two of ‘em…
  <span>boy and a girl…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“So, were </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>one of the kids? Were you </span>
  <span>a kid in the memory?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I was just kinda… </span>
  <em>
    <span>there…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Newt </span>
  <span>admitted. “Watching from afar, but I could hear the woman as plain as day like she was in front of me…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was she saying?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Well she was telling us… Erm, the
  <em>
    <span>kids, </span>
  </em>
  <span>to look out for each other and… and that the world was changing…” he suddenly swallowed nervously and shut his eyes. “Then-then there were people—men and-and she was begging the men not to take them—u-us, then-then...” he trailed off and his body suddenly tensed. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Newt?” Thomas asked worriedly. He
  <span>reached out again and this time laid a hand on the boy’s trembling shoulder. “Newt, are you alright?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt gasped softly. “Lizzie…” His voice
  <span>was so quiet, Thomas wasn’t sure he’d actually heard what he said. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas squeezes his shoulder gently. “What…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lizzie!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The name sounded familiar to Thomas, if
  <span>only vaguely. He felt like he should know what it meant, but he really didn’t. “L-Lizzie—?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“It-It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>her, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Thomas, Lizzie, she was— </span>
  <span>I-I saw her…! I mean, her hair and-and h-her face and…and...it was—it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>her—!”  </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Newt, slow down,” Thomas interjected
  <span>softly. “Who’s Lizzie?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“She’s my bloody </span>
  <em>
    <span>sister!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>At that, something suddenly clicked in
  <span>Thomas’ mind. A memory, even if very vague, of two blonde haired kids, a boy and a girl. A family split apart. “You… you had a sister…?” It sounded more like a statement if anything. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Have, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tommy! I saw her!” Newt </span>
  <span>exclaimed. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>saw</span>
  </em>
  <span> her!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, Thomas was worried that
  <span>Newt had been hallucinating, or even just plain mixing things up, but then something hit him. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Another memory. Of him and Newt
  <span>sneaking into a dorm… Group </span>
  <em>
    <span>B’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> dorm… of the blond siblings hugging goodbye… and, finally of the young blonde girl with a face all too familiar to him. “Holy Shit…” he murmured. “You don’t mean…? You don’t mean </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sonya?!” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Bloody </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell</span>
  </em>
  <span>…” Newt murmured </span>
  <span>softly. “It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>real?! </span>
  </em>
  <span>You saw it, </span>
  <em>
    <span>too? </span>
  </em>
  <span>It wasn’t just… she’s…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I think I sneaked you in before you
  <span>went into the maze so you could say goodbye…” Thomas breathed. “Into the Girl’s dorm, Group B…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“I have a </span>
  <em>
    <span>sister?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Newt’s face suddenly </span>
  <span>fell into a look of shock, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just uncovered. “Oh my god… Should… Should I tell her? What if she doesn’t want…? What if she’s not…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I don’t think it’s something you should
  <em>
    <span>keep </span>
  </em>
  <span>from her,” Thomas answered. “She has the right to know…and, how to feel about it…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Tommy, I’m not even sure how
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>feel </span>
  <span>about that. After all this time… I was told to look after her and… and I had no bloody idea.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Newt—!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>tried, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tommy,” Newt murmured softly. 
  <span>“I tried </span>
  <em>
    <span>so hard</span>
  </em>
  <span> to remember her… I kept repeating her name over and over again as I went through it… but… it didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>work…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he shook his head, eyes suddenly shiny with unshed tears. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Newt.” Thomas moved his hand so it was cupping Newt’s cheek, he pushed the boy’s head towards him slightly, begging him to meet his eye. “Hey. that wasn’t your fault. Your memories were </span>
  <em>
    <span>wiped, </span>
  </em>
  <span>you couldn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>possibly</span>
  </em>
  <span> have remembered…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I bloody forgot her, Tommy,” Newt
  <span>whispered dejectedly. His gaze was down cast, not making eye contact, but he didn’t pull away from Thomas’ touch.  “Why would she want </span>
  <em>
    <span>me </span>
  </em>
  <span>as a brother?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Well… why do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> want a sister?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, Newt looked up at him, his brown eyes were wide and striking, innocent. “What?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seriously. Why do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> want </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> as a </span>
  <span>sister?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…” Newt frowned at him. “I didn’t get a 
  <span>choice, Tommy. It was sheer </span>
  <em>
    <span>luck </span>
  </em>
  <span>that she lived this long… she’s probably all I have left of a family…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you think she feels the same
  <span>way?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt debated it in silence for a moment, </span>
  <span>eyes dark and brow furrowed in deep thought. Finally, he pulled his face away from Thomas and swallowed. “I...I think I need to lay down…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas accepted his answer with a nod.
  <span>He reached down and grabbed the plate, then set it down on the nightstand before he went to help Newt. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>At least it seemed to be easier for him
  <span>to lay down than to sit up, even if it seemed like it had still hurt. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Think about it, Newt,” Thomas told him
  <span>when the boy was finally comfortable on the cot. “I won’t interfere.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt nodded, eyes already beginning to
  <span>droop closed. “Thanks, Tommy…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>By the time Thomas had looked back, the
  <span>boy was asleep. </span>
</span></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next day at breakfast was like an </span>
  <span>intense pressure had been lifted from Thomas’ chest. His worry for Newt dying in the middle of the night had reduced greatly and, even though he’d gotten to bed late, he had slept wonderfully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas had been conversing with Minho </span>
  <span>when Brenda suddenly slid onto the bench beside him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good Morning!” Brenda greeted them happily as she </span>
  <span>snatched a potato off of Thomas’ plate, despite the fact that she had her own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re up early.” Thomas commented as </span>
  <span>he slid his plate away from her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfectly</span>
  </em>
  <span> good reason to be.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas paused, mid-bite to look at her. </span>
  <span>She was grinning at him, smugly, as if waiting for him to connect the dots. “And...what’s that?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’ve been thinking,” Brenda began.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “About what?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About how useless I feel on this island.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Brenda,” Thomas said. “You’re not </span>
  <span>useless.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Thomas,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Brenda turned to him. “I was </span>
 made for action, not relaxing. Everything I’ve gone through, everything Ive been raised for…” she cast a sad look around the area. “It’s not this…” 
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on,” Minho set down his fork. Even Gally
  <span>, Harriet, Sonya, and Aris paused in their conversations further down the table to look at her. “Are you… </span>
  <em>
    <span>leaving?” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Brought it up with Vince last night,”
  <span>Brenda nodded. “He agrees with the fact that I’m not made for this.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“He kicked you out?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No.” Brenda shook her head. “I
  <span>live here. This is my home… I just think I need to be… </span>
  <em>
    <span>working</span>
  </em>
  <span> right now… </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas couldn’t help but feel slightly
  <span>interested. He related to her more than he was willing to admit. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Working...?” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“With the Right Arm,” Brenda said.
  <span>“Saving more kids, bringing them to a better life… y’know… heroic shit…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span> “Life honestly isn’t that bad here,” Gally
  <span>added. “Going back to the MainLand… you’re putting yourself up for danger.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Oh </span>
  <em>
    <span>please,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Brenda laughed. “I’ve lived </span>
there my whole life, survived there.” She pointed a finger at Thomas. “I saved your stupid ass when you and your pals thought it was a good idea to rescue Minho by yourselves. If I couldn’t survive there, I wouldn’t be here now, would I?” 
</p><p>
  <span>“So… Why aren’t you gone yet, then?”
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Brenda took a bite of her eggs. 
  <span>“First off, things aren’t quite ready, Jorge’s prepping now, we leave in a couple of days, and…” she turned to Thomas and Minho. “I came to ask if anyone wanted in.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>At that, Thomas frowned. He cast a look
  <span>to Brenda, unsure if he’d heard her correctly. Minho spoke his mind perfectly. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, come on,” Brenda scoffed. “I’ve
  <span>heard you talking, I’ve seen you working. You’re not made for this kind of stuff. Neither of you.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas exchanged a look with Minho and
  <span>the same thought seemed to weigh on his mind as well. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Well, don’t all jump up at once…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have a point, Brenda,” Thomas admitted.
  <span>He looked again to the girl beside him. “We’ll give you that much, but… now isn’t the best time.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Brenda faltered for a moment, her eyes
  <span>narrowed in confusion. Her mouth opened, then closed as she tried to look for something to say. “You… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Really…?” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Brenda… Newt </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally </span>
  </em>
  <span>woke up for the </span>
  <span>first time in </span>
  <em>
    <span>weeks </span>
  </em>
  <span>yesterday… It just… it feels… </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong </span>
  </em>
  <span>to leave him after all this time.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s right!” Brenda pulled back with a </span>
  half-chuckle. “Oh god, I’ve been so busy, I forgot all about him! How’s he doing?” 
</p><p>
  <span>“We haven’t been in today,” Thomas said. </span>
 “The last I saw of him, he was at least eating, so I guess that’s a start.” 
</p><p>
  <span>“Eating?” Brenda laughed. “Wow. Good on
  <span>him for stomaching it. You wouldn’t think </span>
  <span>chicken would be such an ideal thing…”</span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“No,” Thomas replied with an ironic
  <span>chuckle. “No, it was bread. A few bites of bread that he couldn’t even finish… before he fell asleep…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“That seems more likely,” Brenda
  <span>commented briefly, then shoveled the rest of her eggs into her mouth. “Anyways, I’ve got some work to do if we wanna be out of here sooner rather than later. Tell Newt I said hi!” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas smiled at her with a nod and as
  <span>she scooped her plate from the table, then slid off the bench. Within seconds, she was out of sight. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“She has a point,” Minho said once she was gone. “We </span>
  <em>
    <span>are shuckin</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ useless here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re here for our friend.” Thomas
  <span>added. “But, Being in the action </span>
  <em>
    <span>does </span>
  </em>
  seem more fun than being told to sand something or running the same track for the 50th time.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Think we hurt her feelings?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas couldn’t help the amused snort
  <span>that escaped him. “Bragging rights,” he simply said and took another bite. “She’s been on the road with Jorge for a long time, they can handle themselves and more. This is a good chance for her to show us up and she’ll gladly take it.”</span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Minho didn’t argue with that. “It sounds kinda... intriguing to say the least,” he admitted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas cast a glance in the direction of
  <span>the med-hut, then sighed. “Yeah… If Newt was healed and not confined to bed, maybe we could’ve </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> gone.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Hm… I dunno.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho’s answer surprised Thomas and he
  <span>turned his attention back to the friend across from him. “What do you mean?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Well… Newt </span>
  <em>
    <span>used</span>
  </em>
  <span> to like the action… I think...</span>
 but, I can’t help but feel like he’s always been a Glader at heart. Don’t get me wrong, the Shank hates WCKD and the maze with everything he’s got, but I don’t think he minded the work and life all that much. It was more peaceful in The Glade than in the maze, I can tell you that much. And, this place is basically an upgraded Glade.” Minho sighed and shook his head. “Then again, I’m not really sure 
  <em>
    <span>what </span>
  </em>
  <span>Newt ever wanted from life… other than getting
  <em>
    <span>out</span>
  </em>
  <span> of that maze.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“So…” Thomas frowned. “You think he
  <em>
    <span>wouldn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>come?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Minho shrugged. “Well, if I had to guess
  <span>at what Newt’s main goal in life is, I would say peace. To be away from WCKD and the shucking maze and living his best life, happy… all things this place could definitely give to him…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Well, he did definitely has more of a
  <span>chance at being happy here than </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>do.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Than we </span>
  <em>
   both 
  </em>
  <span>do, Shank,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just… I wish I knew what life was like
  <span>before the world went to shit,” Thomas admitted. “If we hadn’t been in the trials, in the world was normal, we would’ve been put into a </span>
  <em>
    <span>school...” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Would that really be an upgrade? 12
  <span>years or something or nonstop torture?” Minho asked with a snort. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“It’d be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>downgrade,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Thomas disagreed </span>
  <span>back. “I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed
  <span>to know so much at 16. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to know so much at </span>
  <em>
    <span>7.” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Minho scoffed. “Take it as an </span>
  accomplishment, Thomas,” he muttered. “You know a hell of a lot more than any of 
  <em>
    <span>us…” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Not enough… Thomas replied silently, but </span>
  kept the comment to himself. “If it makes you feel any better, I really wish I didn’t…” 
</p><p>
  <span>“Either way,” Minho said and, once he’d  
  <span>finished shoving his eggs into his mouth, stood up. “12 years of that sounds </span>
  <em>
    <span>exhausting.” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas chuckled slightly at the comment
  <span>and part of him couldn’t help but agree. </span>
</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After breakfast, Thomas and Minho had
  <span>decided to take a break from building and headed for the gardens. They were told to be careful and not destroy anything by one of the girls working there, which had been reassuring. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>For the first time since Thomas had
  <span>been living at The Safe Haven, the sun hadn’t come out much. It had been blocked by a pretty heavy layer of clouds. </span>
  <span>Most of his day at gardening had
  <span>consisted of putting up tarps around the sides of the garden when it became apparent that the winds were picking up as well. </span>
</span></span></p><p>
  <span>As the day dragged on, the sky became
  <span>grayer and grayer. The winds made it increasingly difficult to set up the tarps. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>When Thomas and Minho had been 
  <span>heading to lunch, a gust of wind blew through the camp so strongly, it nearly knocked an in-progress building off its foundation. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas was silently thankful that he had 
  <span>been gardening right now instead of building. As exhausting as gardening was, he’d rather be covered in dirt than crushed by a pile of wood. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Why is gardening so much more difficult
  <span>than building?” Minho asked when the two finally sat down with their sandwiches. He got right to town on his hungrily. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Probably because building is more
  <span>dangerous and there’s less risk for injury in the gardens if we mess something up.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Minho chuckled. “There was a girl staring
  <span>at me so intensely today, I thought she’d make me combust or something. But, then again, our track records are both filled with a lot of close calls and disasters, so I can’t blame her. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“What could you possibly mess up in
  <em>
    <span>gardening?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Thomas asked with a scoff. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Not taking care of the plant right?” 
  <span>Minho guessed. “Beats me.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“The people over there, though, they get
  <span>serious about their plants. Like they're taking care of living human beings.”</span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“I’m not complaining,” Minho said, mouth
  <span>full of bread. “As long as they keep bringing food, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m </span>
  </em>
  <span>happy.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas snorted. He was about to take
  <span>another bite of his sandwich when something wet suddenly landed on his nose. He moved to turn his face to the sky, but was stopped in his tracks by another wet drop on his nose. “Uh…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Minho was standing in an instant, his
  <span>torso bent over his sandwich as the drops continued falling. “We’d better get somewhere before it </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>starts.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>As if on cue, another strong gust of wind 
  <span>slammed past the two, shaking the trees monstrously, a bout of thunder rumbled across the sky. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas didn’t waste another precious
  <span>second and, before he knew it, the two of them were racing across the beach in an effort to get out of the storm. </span>
</span></p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The wind and rains only seemed to grow </span>
  <span>heavier the longer the day dragged on. Since about lunchtime, everyone had been trapped in the spot they’d taken shelter. No jobs had been completed since they’d been stuck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas and Minho were in the space </span>
  <span>where everyone slept with about 80 other immunes it seemed like, but it provided little shelter. The winds blew rain into the small,  confined space and, even with everyone huddled together, Thomas still felt cold. He could only pray that everyone was still safe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long do you think it’ll last?” He </span>
  <span>finally asked no one in particular. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho glanced over at him nervously, but </span>
  <span>it was Aris on Thomas’ other side who answered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Neither the wind speeds nor rain are </span>
  <span>slowing down,” he said, voice raised to be heard over the wind. “They’ve only gotten stronger since this whole thing started. I don’t think it's slowing down anytime soon.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas cast a glance back out into the </span>
  <span>storm worriedly, eyes squinted as another gust of wind slammed into the building. All of the hammocks inside rocked wildly, the framing squeaked as it swayed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rain had already seemed to drench </span>
  <span>the camp and the winds had already knocked over the weaker structures, but Thomas’ gaze wasn't drawn to those so much. Instead, he found himself fixated on the raging ocean further down the beach. “Aris…” he began fearfully. “How much do sea levels rise in these storms?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh…” Aris frowned. “I don’t know… 3-5 </span>
  <span>feet?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit.” Thomas cursed and quickly </span>
  <span>pushed himself into a standing position. He cast a look around the area in a frantic search. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Minho was quick to ask. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Thomas was unsuccessful in </span>
  <span>finding the man, he turned back down to his friends around him. “Have any of you seen Vince?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh…” Aris exchanged a weary glance </span>
  <span>with Minho. “The last I saw him, he was going with Brenda and Jorge to The Berg.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas cursed again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thomas?” Minho asked and stood up </span>
  <span>beside his friend. “What’s wrong?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve gotta get everyone out of here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Why?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aris stood, too, his voice was suddenly </span>
  <span>panicky. “He’s right. We’re on the beach. If the sea-levels rise too high or if the winds get too strong, we could risk someone getting hurt.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everyone!” Thomas cupped his hands </span>
  <span>over his mouth in an effort to be heard over the storm. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Hey, Everyone, Listen up!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Any chatter in the area suddenly died </span>
  <span>down and about 80 pairs of eyes turned to look at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“We need to get everyone to higher </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>ground to wait out the storm!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Thomas yelled at the top of his lungs. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“We can’t stay here, it’s too dangerous!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Somebody suddenly burst out. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You want us to go </span>
  </em>
  <span>out there?” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“He’s right!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Minho suddenly shouted. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s dangerous on the beach! If the sea levels get too high, we’ll get flooded with the rest of the camp!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>All of a sudden, any calm in the room </span>
  <span>suddenly broke and the tension burst like a taut rubber band. People were on their feet in an instant and panicked voices suddenly filled the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Where are we going to go?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What if we’re blown away?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Are we going to drown?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh—!” Minho turned to Thomas for an </span>
  <span>explanation, but Thomas had none to give him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Alright! Alright!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Minho yelled to the group. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Calm down, we’ll figure something out!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The highest place here was the </span>
  <span>mountaintop, but there was no way they’d ever make it up there without any casualties. The rocks were slippery, the wind was strong, and, in time, more things would start to fall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They needed a place that wasn’t on the </span>
  <span>beach, but was high enough to not drown everyone and large enough to house everyone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, Minho,” Thomas turned to the boy </span>
  <span>beside him. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You’ve</span>
  </em>
  <span> mapped the island a few more times than me. Is there anywhere safe we could all go?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho blinked in shock. He began moving </span>
  <span>to shake his head, but suddenly stopped. “Wait—! Thomas, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>cave!“</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas almost slapped himself. Of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course! </span>
  </em>
  <span>The cave! Why hadn the thought of it earlier? “Is it </span>
  <em>
    <span>big</span>
  </em>
  <span> enough to fit everyone?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I Don’t know!” Minho exclaimed. “I </span>
  <span>think so, but I never really explored it. Do you have a better idea?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas didn’t. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Okay! Okay!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He called to </span>
  <span>the anxious crowd again. Again, everyone turned to watch.</span>
  <em>
    <span> “We have an idea, but it might seem a little crazy, so you’ll have to bear with us! There’s a cave a little ways up the mountain! It’s safer than the ground and should be large enough to hold everyone! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Minho, can you take them?” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Me?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Minho pulled back. “Where are </span>
  <em>
    <span>yo </span>
  </em>
  <span>going?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to make sure everyone gets off </span>
  <span>the beach!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho bit his lip hard. His face melted </span>
  <span>into a state of unease briefly, but he closed his eyes and shook his head. “Yeah,” He finally said confidently. “I’ll get them there. Be careful, Thomas.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas nodded. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Alright!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Minho took up the reins easily </span>
  <span>and turned back to the group. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“If you see anyone else, let them know to follow! Everyone needs to be quick, but careful! The trail is a little steep and rocky, but it’s the best option we’ve got!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> Once confident that Minho could handle </span>
  <span>it, Thomas turned to the storm outside. A lot of people had run to the hammocks for shelter, but that still left some immunes scattered around camp. He guessed some of them were still in the kitchen and, since it had been lunch time when the rain started, the rest couldn’t be too far off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho appeared at his side, expression </span>
  <span>confident, but eyes slightly uneasy. “You ready?” He asked Thomas. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope.” Thomas answered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They took off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first place Thomas headed for was </span>
  <span>the kitchen. He could barely see it, thanks to the wind blasting water into his face, but he managed to at least head in the right direction. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Frypan?” Thomas called the first name </span>
  <span>he was 99% sure would be in the kitchen. “Frypan!” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Thomas?”  </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas headed the familiar voice and </span>
  <span>followed it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thomas, what are you doing?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Through the rain, Thomas was able to </span>
  <span>spot a figure in the distance standing in front of what he assumed was The Kitchen. He charged for it as fast as his legs could go. “We’re going to the caves!” He called the second he was close enough. “Get everyone to the caves!” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas suddenly felt hands on his arms </span>
  <span>and, the next thing he knew, he was yanked inside of the kitchen. The door slammed shut behind him and, when Thomas looked up, he saw the familiar faces of Frypan and Gally in front of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell were you doing, Thomas?” </span>
  <span>Frypan exclaimed. “You’re going to get swept up in this mess!”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this everyone else?” Thomas asked. </span>
  <span>Behind the two boys, more eyes stared anxiously at him. He was able to spot at least Sonya and Harriet among the crowd. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh…” Gally cast a look behind him. “We </span>
  <span>don’t know.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Man, we just started hustling as many </span>
  <span>people as we could in here when it started raining,” Frypan explained. ”They’ve been touching all our stuff, but at least they’re safe.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay!” Thomas addressed the crowd </span>
  <span>again. “Listen up! It’s too dangerous to stay on the beach, so we’re taking everyone we can up to the cave on the mountain side!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>cave</span>
  </em>
  <span> on the mountain side?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not much,” Thomas explained. “But, </span>
  <span>it’s all we’ve got and it should be safer than the beach!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Greenie,” Gally was quick to comment, </span>
  <span>voice somewhat amused. “Your ideas just keep getting crazier and crazier.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas tried his best to ignore them. </span>
  <span>“Alright, everyone move quickly, but carefully! Keep an eye on each other and try not to let anyone fall behind! Is everyone ready?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas took the silence as a yes, then </span>
  <span>pulled open the door again. The door had barely opened an inch before the wind caught it and it slammed back onto the wall with a snap. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A cry of panic rippled briefly through </span>
  <span>the crowd, but Thomas tried not to let it stop him and charged back out into the rain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s Go, Let’s Go!” He could hear Gally </span>
  <span>calling behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wind pushed back against Thomas </span>
  <span>heavily as he made his way across the beach. It reminded him of the first time he crossed the scorch, except a lot wetter. He could barely see where he was going through the rain and could barely tell what was going on thanks to the wind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d barely made it to the point where </span>
  <span>he could vaguely see the mountain in front of him when a voice behind him suddenly called out his name. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thomas!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas paused in his tracks and turned, </span>
  <span>only to see Sonya pushing her way through the crowd. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Newt, Thomas!” The girl suddenly cried </span>
  <span>over the roaring wind. “We have to get Newt!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Again, Thomas cursed. Through all the </span>
  <span>chaos, he’d forgotten about the one person who’d been alone through all of this. The one person he’d been worried about most through his entire time here. He couldn’t just leave him, but he wasn’t sure Sonya could carry him on her own. He wasn’t sure </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>could either. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh…!” Thomas reacted quickly. “Fry! </span>
  <span>Come take the lead!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas fought to find him through the </span>
  <span>rain. “You were the one who got Minho and I when Newt woke up! You’re the only one who saw where we came from!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> lead?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really want to </span>
  <em>
    <span>carry</span>
  </em>
  <span> someone up an </span>
  <span>unfamiliar trail?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frypan pulled an uneasy look. “Alright, </span>
  <span>everyone, let’s go!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas broke off from the group with a </span>
  <span>beckoning wave to Sonya, who was already moving towards him. He managed to latch onto her arm in an effort to not lose her in the storm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on!” She yelled in his ear. “I know </span>
  <span>the way like the back of my hand!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas knew better than to question </span>
  <span>her judgement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Together, the two made their way across </span>
  <span>the beach, which was slightly easier now that they were moving diagonally and with the wind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas was suddenly afraid that </span>
  <span>something had happened to his friend during the chaos. Maybe the hut had been knocked over or maybe Newt had gone outside. The possibilities were endless. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Almost there!” Sonya cried. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the distance, Thomas’ eyes picked up </span>
  <span>the familiar shape of the hut sitting intact on the beach. He pushed forwards, harder than he ever had before, dragging Sonya behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the two reached the entrance, the </span>
  <span>cloth that had acted as the door had been torn off. The inside of the hut was dim. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Newt!” Thomas called desperately as he </span>
  <span>stepped inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tommy?” Newt’s voice answered back </span>
  <span>weakly. “Tommy, is that you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s me!” Thomas exclaimed in relief as </span>
  <span>Sonya stepped in behind him. “It’s us! Sonya and I!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the bloody hell’s going on out </span>
  <span>there?” Newt cried back, panicked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the dim lighting, Thomas managed to </span>
  <span>spot Newt on the floor beside his cot, hand pressed desperately over his chest. “It’s a storm, Newt!” he said quickly and reached down for his friend. “We're getting everyone up to the cave on the mountainside!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The bloody </span>
  <em>
    <span>what?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“The cave!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In the mountainside?” Newt snapped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thomas, you know bloody well I can’t get up a shucking mountain! I couldn’t even manage to stand up from this cot!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve gotta give us </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything </span>
  </em>
  <span>you’ve </span>
  <span>got, Newt,” Thomas replied desperately. He reached down and hooked Newt’s arm around his neck, just like he’d done the first time he’d had to carry his friend. He hoped that he didn’t fail this time. His face was so close to Newt’s, he could feel the boy’s breath, but he wouldn’t let the butterflies in his stomach stop him from continuing. “We’re not leaving you. Not again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sonya rounded on the boy’s other side </span>
  <span>and took up his arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt’s eyes met Thomas’ fearfully and </span>
  <span>Thomas tried not to let his own emotions bother him. He sucked in a deep breath and squeezed Newt’s wrist. “You ready?” He asked. “Let’s go, Newt, okay? One… two…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt let out a sharp gasp of pain as both </span>
  <span>Thomas and Sonya lifted him off the ground. His feet scrambled blindly for purchase to even keep himself upright, but they never landed before the three started moving. Another gasp escaped his lips at the feeling of cold rain when they made it outside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright!” Thomas instructed Sonya with </span>
  <span>a yell. “Back the way we came! Hurry!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sonya didn’t need to be told twice. The </span>
  <span>only thing slowing them down was a struggling Newt, who hadn’t even been out of bed for over 3 weeks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How you doing, Newt?” Thomas asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>All he got in response was a painful </span>
  <span>whimper in between sharp gasping. The boy hadn’t even managed to figure out how to move his feet yet, they half dragged, half flailed behind the group uselessly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay with me,” Thomas said to him. “Come on, Newt, just stay with me.” He kept his eyes glued to the wet </span>
  <span>sand again, following his own puddled footsteps back the way they came. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wind pushed against them strongly, </span>
  <span>stronger than Thomas had ever felt, in every which way but forwards. The cold rain pelted them in the face, stabbing into their skin like sharp needles. With everything piled up against them, Thomas was sure they’d never make it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time the mountain was even in </span>
  <span>sight, Sonya had noticeably grown tired on Newt’s other side. Thomas could feel the boy’s weight shifting on and off of him with every time she stumbled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt was no longer helping either, he’d </span>
  <span>practically flopped uselessly between the two. His head was hanging to the floor and his wet bangs hung down, his feet were fully dragging behind them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even so, Thomas couldn’t find the energy </span>
  <span>to blame either of them. He was beginning to feel the pain of the storm, he was tired, too, even if he tried to remain strong. His legs ached and his grasp was beginning to slip from Newt’s wrist. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could go on like this. He wasn’t sure if he could even make it up the mountain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, then, all of a sudden, his ears picked </span>
  <span>up a noise. It was faint, very vague, but a sound… no… a </span>
  <em>
    <span>voice… </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Thomas!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>They called. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Thomas! Sonya! </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Where are you?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Down here!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Thomas shouted at </span>
  <span>the top of his lungs. Beside him, Newt groaned. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“We’re down here!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas paused when the sound of </span>
  <span>running footsteps slapping on water began heading towards him. Then, the voice called again, closer. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Where, Thomas?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“At the bottom!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Thomas called back. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“We’re here!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The footsteps began again and, through </span>
  <span>the blurry view, Thomas was able to spot movement. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Down here!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> He called again. He longed </span>
  <span>to move his arms and try to signal them, but he was scared all three of them would fall if he were to let go. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Down here!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, the figure began rushing towards </span>
  <span>them and Thomas was relieved to see none other than Minho breaking through the mist, soaked head to toe, but grinning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You got him!” Minho cheered as he </span>
  <span>dropped down in front of the three. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve gotta get him up there,” Thomas </span>
  <span>cut in before the boy could continue. “Go take over for Sonya. Sonya, you okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine…!” Sonya answered miserably </span>
  <span>and, once the two had traded places, wrapped her arms tightly around herself. </span>
</p><p>“Minho...?” Newt’s voice whispered. <br/>Thomas seemed to be the only one who’d heard it because Minho hadn’t noticed. He squeezed the blonde’s hand in reassurance as Minho continued talking.</p><p>
  <span>“Sonya, you’re going to have to lead,” </span>
  <span>Minho said. “I can tell you where you’re going to go. Try not to slip, it gets rough near the top.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sonya nodded in agreement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” Minho began. “Start going </span>
  <span>left.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>From that point on, Thomas kept his </span>
  <span>mouth shut in an effort to save as much energy as possible. Minho kept giving instructions and Sonya stumbled to follow them. A couple of times, the wind had nearly blasted them off the edge, much to Thomas’ horror, and, by the time he thought they were nearing the cave, he was completely exhausted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Almost there…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, suddenly, right as Thomas began </span>
  <span>to give up hope, encouraging voices suddenly entered his ears and, the next thing he knew, hands were dragging him, Newt, Sonya, and Minho over the edge of the cave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He flopped down onto the cold floor next </span>
  <span>to his friends, cold, wet, and exhausted, and tried to catch his breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>People crowded around the group. Much </span>
  <span>to his relief, Thomas saw as they went to help the latter first. He recognized them as the mostly absent medics in camp. One of them brought forth a towel and began gently drying Newt off. Then, something suddenly wrapped around Thomas’ own shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thomas, you son of a bitch, you made </span>
  <span>it!” Brenda’s face appeared in view and she helped him to sit up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Brenda?” Thomas shook his head in an </span>
  <span>effort to clear it. “What are you..? Where did you…? Where did you get </span>
  <em>
    <span>this…?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was going to be for our trip,” Brenda </span>
  <span>explained. “But, I figured it’s probably more useful here anyways.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re… You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>leaving…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going anywhere, Thomas,” </span>
  <span>Brenda confirmed. “Not yet, anyways. I think I’m actually… </span>
  <em>
    <span>needed</span>
  </em>
  <span> here for once.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas turned to the rest of his </span>
  <span>drenched travelers beside him. “Are They okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s cold and wet, but she’ll live,” one </span>
  <span>of the absent medics answered. “He’s in a bit worse condition. He's freezing to the touch, he passed out and has clearly overexerted himself. He’s gonna feel like shit when he wakes up, but he’ll be alright eventually.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The relief that flooded through Thomas </span>
  <span>was unlike anything he’d ever felt before. He’d done it. He’d saved Newt. He’d managed not to kill Sonya. He hadn’t failed again. Nothing in that moment could’ve made him happier. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Thomas didn’t remember much from the </span>
  <span>time he’d been dragged into the cave with Newt, Minho and Sonya. All he knew was that one minute, he’d been sitting on the ground with the two of them and, the next, he found himself sitting up from the cave floor, a pillow under his head and a sleeping bag and blanket covering him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas sat up with a slight wince of pain </span>
  <span>and cast a look around. The whole camp seemed to be in here, thankfully. Outside, the storm still raged on and they were all squished together, but they were safe, dryer, and somewhat warm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sonya and Newt laid beside him in what </span>
  <span>was probably the driest part of the cave. They were sleeping in their own sleeping bags and blankets, Sonya a bit more peacefully. Newt was wrapped in the most blankets, but he </span>
  <em>
    <span>almost </span>
  </em>
  <span>seemed peaceful. However, there was something about him that portrayed a sense of unease. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas was drawn from thought by the </span>
  <span>sound of a voice. He lifted his head to see Minho jogging over to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thomas!” The boy laughed. “You’re </span>
  <span>awake!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas frowned at him when he got </span>
  <span>close enough. “How long have I been out?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A few hours,” Brenda answered as she </span>
  <span>came up beside Minho.  She fell to her knees in front of Thomas, then wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. “You were all exhausted, so we gave you a chance to sleep.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Minho added with a punctuated </span>
  <span>stretch. “That cave floor is </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>comfortable. My back is </span>
  <em>
    <span>killing </span>
  </em>
  <span>me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you’re being dramatic!” Brenda </span>
  <span>scoffed. “It’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>bad!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is when you’re laying on it for a </span>
  <span>couple of hours! Thomas will back me up. Right, Thomas?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas shrugged. Honestly, he didn’t </span>
  <span>feel much different than he usually did. The floor </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>uncomfortable, now that he thought about it, but it wasn’t the worst thing he’d ever slept on. “You’ve got a point, but I’ve slept on worse…” he admitted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas’ attention was next drawn to the </span>
  <span>mouth of the cave a few good feet in front of him, where the storm outside still raged. It had lessened since he’d last seen, but it was still pouring. “It’s… It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>still </span>
  </em>
  <span>raining?” He asked </span>
  <span>drearily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s going to stay that way all night, Hermano</span>
  <span>,” Jorge answered. “It’s a hurricane. It might even last the day.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And, How… How is everyone…?” Thomas </span>
  <span>asked. “Did everyone make it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span> “Some people joined in from camp and </span>
  <span>we picked up a few </span>
  <em>
    <span>strays</span>
  </em>
  <span> on the way to the cave,” Minho explained and gestured to Brenda and Jorge, amused. “Who were generous enough to share their supplies with us… then I came back down looking for you and stumbled across Frypan and the others. I took them up the hill, then, while Vince was doing a head count, I went down again for you three dumb shanks.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So everyone’s safe?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For the most part,” Aris said. “We got </span>
  <span>enough supplies to last us </span>
  <em>
    <span>at least </span>
  </em>
  <span>a day… we’re hoping the storm’s going to be over by then so we can work on rebuilding the camp.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A wave of dread suddenly settled in the </span>
  <span>pit of Thomas’ stomach. “Rebuilding the camp?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When no one responded, Thomas decided </span>
  <span>to see for himself. The air was a bit chilly when he pushed the sleeping bag off his legs, but he got used to it quickly as he headed across the cold cave floor. Minho was quick to catch up, but he didn’t try and stop him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Thomas reached the mouth of the </span>
  <span>cave, his attention was briefly drawn to the voice that had come out of the dark. He turned to see Vince leaning against the wall, staring miserably out to the safe haven below. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a mess out there,” the man said  </span>
  <span>with a heavy sigh. “Damn storm’s nearly destroyed everything.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, when Thomas looked out, </span>
  <span>he found that the man was right. The beach was a disaster of broken wood and tarps thrown about. There was broken and drenched produce littered about, even a few dead animals, and a broken animal pen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any live animals we </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> have mostly </span>
  <span>escaped when the pen was broken,” Vince added. “The wind destroyed our building and crops, even with the tarps around it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long will it take to rebuild?” </span>
  <span>Thomas asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To be considered </span>
  <em>
    <span>paradise </span>
  </em>
  <span>again?” </span>
  <span>Vince snorted. “At least a few months. We’ll have to round up all the animals and rebuild what we lost, but it’s the food I’m worried about. We’ve got a little bit of backup supplies on the boat and we have the island, but it won’t last us very long if we can’t grow our own food. Especially not with this many people...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas grit his teeth nervously. “Do you </span>
  <span>have a plan?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not leaving this spot until I’ve got a </span>
  <span>decent enough one,” Vince said. “I brought you kids to The Safe Haven in promise for a better life. It’s my job to make sure it stays that way.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas wanted to say more, but his </span>
  <span>attention was suddenly drawn to a sudden gasp behind him. He turned, only to see Sonya drearily sitting up. He politely excused himself from Vince, then headed back towards where he’d woken up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sonya, Hey…!” Thomas crouched down in </span>
  <span>front of her and offered a smile. “Are you okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sonya frowned and blinked at him. “I-I’m... </span>
  <span>fine.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas slid to the side as Harriet and </span>
  <span>Aris came rushing up behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “Sonya!” Harriet cried as she slid to her </span>
  <span>knees on the stone floor and pulled the girl into a hug. Aris wasn’t far behind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey…” Sonya chuckled quietly. She </span>
  <span>wrapped her arms around the two and pulled them closer. “I’m alright, guys, really…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“According to these guys, we’ve been out </span>
  <span>for a couple of hours,” Thomas commented as he sat back on the ground. He cast a look to Newt beside him. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>All </span>
  </em>
  <span>of us…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” Sonya followed his gaze and her </span>
  <span>eyes widened. After Harriet and Aris pulled away, she quickly pushed the blankets and sleeping bag from her body and made her way over to Newt. “Is he okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He passed out about when we started </span>
  <span>climbing up, I think,” Thomas said and held his hands out to her uneasily. Harriet and Aris were close behind her, clearly anxious that she’d fall or something. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> “Medics say he should be fine.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Sonya exclaimed. She reached </span>
  <span>behind her for her own blanket, then tucked it around the shivering boy. “He’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>freezing…!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sonya, Hey, everyone’s okay,” Harriet </span>
  <span>said gently as she reached forwards and wrapped her arms around her friend. “We All Just need to sleep this off and wait out this damn storm…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sonya placed her hand on Harriet’s arm, </span>
  <span>then looked up to Thomas. “What about you? Why aren’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> still sleeping?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I just woke up a few minutes ago, </span>
  <span>too,” Thomas explained. “I’m doing perfectly fine, </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>fine. You don’t need to worry.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry…” Sonya chuckled slightly. “The </span>
  <span>last thing I remember we were outside… now, all of a sudden, we’re in here…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I hear you,” Thomas agreed. He </span>
  <span>couldn’t help but sound disappointed when he looked back down at Newt. “It sucks… he’d finally woken up…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that, Sonya sighed sadly in </span>
  <span>understanding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Harriet cut in. She laid her hand </span>
  <span>on Sonya’s and gave it a squeeze, then cast a sincere look at Thomas. “At least we’re all together…” she told them. “If all else fails, at least we have each other…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sonya smiled back at the girl, then </span>
  <span>leaned back so she was resting on her chest. “Yeah,” she agreed quietly. “Just another one of life’s stupid curveballs…” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The storm lasted for nearly a full 24 hours since it had started. The food for the immunes had been rationed terribly, so everyone was hungry, and to top it off, they could only watch as their beloved Safe Haven was destroyed. </p><p>When the storm was nearing its end, people were itching to get out of the cave. Some, including Thomas and a small group of people, even went outside when it was raining lightly, to see the damage. </p><p>Thomas went with Sonya and Harriet to see what medical supplies they could salvage from the med-huts.  </p><p>“So… What are we looking for again?” Thomas asked as the group crossed the soggy beach. </p><p>“Anything you can find that isn’t completely destroyed,” Sonya answered, her tone unfortunate.</p><p>As Thomas cast a look across the mess, he realized that the task might be more difficult than he’d originally thought. He’d come here thinking that the supplies had merely been washed out onto the beach, but it seemed as if the whole hut itself was scattered across the beach instead.</p><p>“That’s… not going to be easy…” Harriet said, stating Thomas’ mind perfectly. She scrunched her nose at the wet, broken pile by her feet, then nudged it apart slightly. “Most of this stuff is just… <em> sticks </em> and <em> mud </em>…” </p><p>Thomas snorted as he headed over to where the entrance to the hut used to be. There was no longer any hut, though, at least, not one that could be considered safe. </p><p>The entire roof and left wall had caved in and, with it, the front, back, and right walls stood mostly destroyed. The cot in which Newt had once laid was snapped in half and laid in two parts. One was against a tree outside and the other was partially buried under the destroyed materials. </p><p>With a sigh, Thomas crouched down next to the spot where a lot of the medical supplies had once been stored. He began sifting through the wreckage, trying not wince at how gross and mushy it all felt. There were a lot of sticks, grass, mud, sand, and even some shards of broken glass, but nothing really seemed salvageable. </p><p>“Sonya! Thomas!” </p><p>Thomas stopped what he was doing and lifted his head  towards the voice. At the sight of someone running frantically towards him, he stood. “Brenda?” He called out. Whatever was in his hands dropped and he was immediately crossing the beach to meet her. “Brenda, What happened?” </p><p>Brenda came to a stumbling halt in front of Thomas. She had clearly run as fast as she could here. She half folded over with her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. </p><p>“Brenda?” Thomas asked worriedly again as Sonya came up behind him. “What is it?” </p><p>Brenda craned her head to look back up at him, then pointed back towards the cave. “I came as fast as I could… Minho sent me to tell you that it’s Newt.” </p><p>Thomas shot a look back to a just as shocked Sonya. A knot of worry formed in his stomach. His eyes drifted next to Harriet, who had stopped slightly in front of the destroyed hut. </p><p>“Go!” The brunette said with a curt nod. </p><p>“Go ahead, I’ll be fine on my own!” </p><p>Thomas nodded his thanks at her. He turned back to Brenda, but the girl waved him off. </p><p>“Yeah, go,” she said. “I'll cover for you. I’ll comb the beach while you’re gone.” </p><p>Thomas thanked her, too, then, with a wave of his hand at Sonya, he took off in a sprint back towards the cave. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The two made it back to the cave in record time, Thomas faster than Sonya. It didn’t take him very long to spot the movement coming from where his friends were gathered. He headed over as fast as he possibly could. </p><p>“Thomas!” Minho’s eyes were wide when he turned his head around. “Is Sonya with you?” </p><p>“I’m here!” Sonya called as she jogged up behind Thomas. “I’m here, what’s wrong?” </p><p>“I told you buggin’ Shanks, ‘m <em> fine…!”  </em></p><p>Thomas flinched at the familiar voice coming from behind Minho. He frowned and cast a look around his friend. Newt was half sitting up against the wall and staring at the group with dazed eyes. Jorge was crouched down next him, wrapping a blanket around his shoulders. </p><p>With only a brief second glance at his friend, Thomas weaved around Minho, then crouched beside his tired looking friend as well. He longed to pull him into a hug, but stopped himself. “Newt,” he breathed in relief. “How are you feeling?” </p><p>“Pro’bly’s bad as I look,” Newt chuckled slightly, but his eyes turned distant when Sonya came to kneel beside Thomas. “Jus’-Jus’ got bloody nervous, I swear,” </p><p>“What happened?” Sonya asked calmly. </p><p>“Was wakin’ up an’ I remembered where ‘d been last… then there were people ‘verywhere ‘round me… an’ I panicked, moved too fast…” </p><p>“...<em> and…?”  </em></p><p>“And the shuck-face lost his dinner!” Minho chimed in before Newt could answer. </p><p>Thomas shot Sonya a worried look first, then turned to Newt. He seemed more tired if anything, but he still looked quite uneasy and ill. Before he could say anything, though, Sonya plastered her hand against his forehead, even if it was apparent how sweaty he seemed. </p><p>Eventually, the girl winced in sympathy, then sighed. “That and you’ve still got a fever… I just went down to see if I could find anything to help you get rid of that…” </p><p>Beside them, Minho snorted. “So, no luck, then?” </p><p>“Harriet and Brenda are still down there searching,” Thomas explained. “But, unless you count sticks and mud as something, no, we haven’t really been able to find much…” </p><p>“Do you know <em> anyone </em> that’s had luck today?” Minho asked, defeated. </p><p>Thomas shrugged innocently. “Day’s not over yet…” he mumbled, but his voice fell flat of hope. </p><p>“That’s <em> very </em> reassuring, Thomas,” </p><p>“Shut up, Minho…” </p><p>“How are you feeling overall, Newt?” Sonya asked before the other conversation could continue much further. </p><p>Everyone turned back to look at him curiously. </p><p>Newt took a deep, nervous breath. “Uh…” he shrugged. “Muddled…?” </p><p>“Are you still nauseous at all?” </p><p>Another shrug. </p><p>“Ok… I’ll take that as a yes…” Sonya’s  expression suddenly turned woeful. “How about pain…?” </p><p>“Chest jus’ aches a little,” Newt assured her. “Doesn’ bother me when I don’t move…”</p><p>Sonya’s expression didn’t seem so sure, but she nodded anyways. Next, she turned to Thomas and Minho, then nodded to the side and stood. </p><p>The two exchanged brief looks before they followed her reluctantly. </p><p>“Can you help?” Minho asked hopefully. </p><p>“I can’t do much,” Sonya admitted. “Not without medication, at least. As long as nothing too disastrous is causing the fever, he should be alright, but without medication, he’s going to feel like absolute <em> shit…”  </em></p><p>Thomas and Minho exchanged weary glances with each other. </p><p>“Well…” Thomas said hesitantly. “He’s felt worse before, right…? Can’t be as bad as The Flare, can it?”</p><p>Minho snorted. “Yeah. I also can’t imagine breaking your leg in a maze with <em> way </em> less trained medics was any less painful either,” when both Sonya and Thomas turned to look at him, he held up his hands in defense. “Trust me, he’s ridden through nastier stuff than this before…Even with <em> no </em> medication for some time…” </p><p>The act sounded vaguely familiar to Thomas, like he'd had something to do with it at the time, but he decided upon not dwelling on it now. “How can he fight it off quickly even without any meds?” He asked instead. </p><p>Sonya crossed her arms, then cast a look back over her shoulder at Newt. “Honestly?” She shrugged and turned back to look at them. “Rest.” </p><p>“For how <em> long...?” </em> Minho was quick to  jump in impatiently. “Because he’s been <em> resting </em> since like… <em> before </em>we even got here…” </p><p>Sonya shot him a soft, understanding smile. “He’s still got a <em> long </em>way to go,” she informed. “Longer now with that fever.” </p><p>Minho’s face fell slightly, but Thomas couldn’t help but feel his pain. It felt like every step forward they made in Newt’s recovery, it was a whole leap back next. </p><p>“Just don’t worry too much about him,” Sonya said. “Try to focus on helping out around here for a little while, yeah? Give him a chance to recuperate and <em> sleep.”  </em></p><p>“Easier said than done, Sonya.” Minho grumbled.</p><p>“I know…” Sonya sighed. “For all of us, really, you’re not alone… he <em> just </em>needs time is all…” </p><p>“And… What will <em> you </em> do?” </p><p>“Don’t worry about me,” Sonya shook her head slightly. “Nothing’s changed about my life either… not yet, at least. I’ll try to stay with him as long as I can, but I’d also like to help out on the beach, too…” she gave each of them a stern look. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.” </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Thomas and Minho stayed with Newt for a little while longer until the boy had at least fallen asleep before they decided to head back outside. </p><p>Sonya had, of course, had a point. There <em> was </em>a lot of work to do. And, it wasn’t getting done by Thomas sitting up in a cave all day. Minho had felt similarly. </p><p>Like on a normal work day, the two did what they could to help. There was a lot of beach cleaning to be done, food to be collected, and even supplies to be accounted for. </p><p>Thomas wasn’t sure what square one on this island actually looked like, but he figured it couldn’t have been too different from what he was seeing now. </p><p>“Why do I feel like this island only went to shit <em>after</em> we arrived?” Minho was first to comment when the two were dragging broken debris away from the main part of camp. </p><p>“Wish I could tell you,” Thomas mumbled in agreement. “It was finally beginning to feel a little normal…” only a bit though. </p><p>“It's something to hold on to, I’ll say that much,” Minho snorted. “It’s no Glade, of course… but, I suppose it’s good not having Grievers tryin’ to maul you at every turn.” </p><p>Thomas frowned at the slight defeat in his voice. It didn’t sound partially nostalgic, but there was something about the way he said it that was… off-putting. “Do you ever miss it?” </p><p>“Huh?” Minho furrowed his brow. “Miss <em> what?”  </em></p><p>“The Glade.” </p><p>Minho turned to look at him, frowning, clearly conflicted about the subject. “Does it shucking matter if I miss the place? I mean I <em> guess </em> miss the <em> peace </em> it had… for me, at least…I mean, we were <em> technically </em> still with WCKD, but they <em> did </em> leave us alone for the most part…” he chuckled lightly, almost in relief. “And, I miss the bonfires… and… and Frypan’s Stew… Gally’s Brew…” he shook his head slightly. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t like that I was imprisoned there, but, ever since we got outta there, life kinda went to shit, don’t you think?” </p><p>Thomas agreed silently. He could’ve lived life without losing about 90% of his friend group and being used as a Lab Experiment for a misleading company. </p><p>“I mean, <em> seriously?” </em> Minho piped up  quickly. “The Maze was no paradise, but at least we worried about the same things pretty much every day… and, it wasn’t rare for something <em> bad </em> to happen, but…” he shrugged. “At least we had order, at least we didn’t have Cranks or The Flare or… or friends turning <em> into </em> Cranks…” </p><p>“At least you had something somewhat nice to hold on to…” Thomas replied unfortunately. He wasn’t sure if he was thankful or not for not having to deal with the maze. He’d had Teresa, of course, but would he really have rather watched his friends die than actively try to stop it? </p><p>“It’s funny… I feel like I spent my whole life tryin’ to get out of that shuckin’ place, but now that I’m out and at peace…?” Minho sighed. “I just can’t relax… I don’t… I don’t fit in here…” </p><p>Thomas was disappointed with how much he agreed with the fact. He did like it here, he really did… but, he wasn’t sure how to live life… not yet anyways. “What are we going to do about that?” He finally asked quietly. </p><p>Minho sighed, his head dropped to the floor in what could only be described as shame. “I… I dunno…” he admitted. “<em> Shockingly… </em> Brenda’s idea sounds <em> nice, </em>but…” </p><p>He didn’t need to say it, Thomas knew exactly what, or rather <em> who </em>Minho was talking about. </p><p>“After all we’ve been through together,” Minho chuckled slightly. “The stubborn son of a bitch. I can’t believe he's still here right now… and, I hate myself for giving up on him like I did...” </p><p>“I don’t think anyone blames you,” Thomas said. “I certainly don’t and I don’t think he does… you didn’t have anything to hold on to except for the fact that he <em> might </em> fight through that… but, we all know how hard he tried to do exactly that back in the city… and we all know how <em> that </em> turned out…”</p><p>“Nearly losing both of my friends in the same night is probably the scariest thing that’s happened to me…” Minho mumbled, then he smiled and punched Thomas’ arm. “Maybe even over staying a night in the <em> maze </em> with <em> your </em>shuck self…” </p><p>Thomas hummed in agreement. Except that he actually <em> had </em> lost someone that night. Someone he cared quite deeply for. Someone he’d...  <em> loved…  </em></p><p>Minho seemed to want to say more, but  he didn’t get to question further when their attention was suddenly drawn away by the sound of a voice. </p><p>“If I could have your attention!” </p><p>Thomas paused in his tracks and, together, he and Minho turned towards the direction of the voice. There, they were able to see Vince standing on top of a large rock, surveying the crowd. </p><p>“We’ve had a rough couple of nights,” Vince began. “And, our beautiful home has taken some damage! But, while our haven may be in tatters, we <em> cannot </em> give up hope yet! We are still here and we are still <em> together!”  </em></p><p>Vince stepped down from on top of the rock once everyone was paying attention, then began to walk across the beach as he continued. “You all came to this place in search of a better life and I couldn’t be happier to provide that for you, but <em> I </em> can’t do it alone… I’ve seen what amazing things people can accomplish if they work together! That is why I am confident that you will be able to pull together and work as a team to <em> restore </em> our home.” </p><p>A ripple of agreement chorused quickly through the crowds at his statement. Vince stood waiting at the front for the noise to die down before he continued. </p><p>“Until we’ve established a decent shelter, we will stay up in the cave until the beach can be cleaned up. We will salvage what we can from the gardens, try to find escaped animals and rebuild what we have to. We must be careful with our foods and supplies. It will take a long time to get to a decent sustaining point again, but I <em> know </em>we can make it!” </p><p>The group was silent, listening. </p><p>Vince lifted his head slightly, eyes truly regretful as he scanned the crowd again. Thomas swallowed and shrank back when the man met his eye and gave him a slight look. “So, if you’ll help me to help you, if we stick together and keep our heads held high, we can turn this place into paradise again! That is all…” </p><p>Much to Thomas’ horror, Vince began heading towards him next. He tried to turn away to avoid what he knew was coming, but Vince suddenly called out to him. </p><p>“Thomas! I need to speak with you…!” </p><p>Thomas crossed his arms. He cast a sheepish look at the leader when he came to a stop in front him. “What can I do for you, Vince?” </p><p>“As I'm sure You’re aware, we’re running lower and lower on supplies the longer the days go on.” </p><p>Thomas nodded. </p><p>“We’ve has to bust into the ships emergency storage to keep ourselves sustained. But, once it runs out, we won’t have <em> anything.”  </em></p><p>“Not true,” Minho cut in before Thomas could respond. “We live on an <em> island, </em>Vince. We have food and resources  here…” </p><p>“I understand that,” Vince replied. “But, there’s a lot of people here, so there’s lots of mouths to feed. Even if we could plant some stuff, it wouldn’t be ready for a while. Not to mention, we don’t have any medical supplies or tools after they were lost in the storm.” </p><p>“What do you think <em> we </em>can do about it?” Thomas asked, though he was quite certain he knew the answer. </p><p>“Brenda and Jorge are heading up to the mainland in a week or two for a supply run. They need a crew or at least a group for safety. You two seem like great candidates.”</p><p>Thomas sighed. “So we’ve been told…” he exchanged a weary look with Minho beside him. “Did she also tell you why we don’t want to go yet?” </p><p>Vince crossed his arms. “I understand your concern for your friend, but I really think he’ll be alright if you leave him for just a week or two…” </p><p>“Why can’t Jorge and Brenda find another crew? There’s plenty of people on this island…” </p><p>“You’re the most capable and you know it.” Vince replied. </p><p>Thomas wasn’t so sure about the fact, but he sighed and decided not to talk about it anymore. “Sorry, Vince,” he said dismissively instead. “I just don’t feel confident leaving him…” </p><p>“Not even for the better good?” </p><p>Thomas sighed. He knew Vince had a point, but he still wasn’t sure what he even wanted. Abandon his friend again but disappoint everyone else? Or tend to everyone else and risk losing his friend again? </p><p>He just wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do. </p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After Thomas had finished what he’d been working on, he headed up to the cave to cool off a bit and think before Dinnertime. Metaphorically and literally. Except, when he arrived, he didn’t expect to be greeted with the sight in front of him. </p><p>Newt had somehow managed to sit. His hand was pressed tightly against his chest as he used the wall to try and stand. It didn’t seem to be faring well since his legs seemed to be just as weak. </p><p>Thomas was crossing the cave as quickly as he could to try and help his friend. “Newt!” He called out worriedly. “What are you doing?” </p><p>With his focus most likely broken, Newt fell back onto his butt, clutching at his chest in pain. “Tommy.” He deadpanned. </p><p>“What are you doing?” Thomas demanded.</p><p>“Could ask you the same question…” Newt grumbled as Thomas kneeled down beside him. “Come barreling in here like you’re on bloody <em> fire…!”  </em></p><p>Thomas laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder, he could feel the slight worrying heat pulsing off of him. “Did Sonya say you could be standing yet? Should you even be trying it without her here?” </p><p>“I walked bloody fine on my own before,” Newt shot back. “I can manage—!” </p><p>“Keyword being <em> before,” </em>Thomas pointed out. “You’ve taken some pretty big hits since then… why do you even need to stand?” </p><p>“Just wanted to see outside the cave… everyone says this place is oh-so-amazing, but I have yet to see it for myself other than through a bloody <em> storm </em>I was only half-conscious for!” </p><p>“Okay, okay…” Thomas raised his palms to his friend in surrender. “Calm down. Sorry… it’s just… there’s not much to see… after the storm, the island is… well…” </p><p>“Is there still an island to see?” Newt cut in. </p><p>Thomas shrugged. The beach was an absolute wreck, but he supposed Newt had a point. “I guess…” </p><p>“And, is it sunny outside?” </p><p>Thomas didn’t need to look over his shoulder to check. Judging from the sweat still clinging to his skin, he was sure the sun was still out, even if it was getting late. “Newt—!” </p><p><em> “Thomas. </em>I’m sick of this buggin’ cave…” </p><p>At that, finally Thomas sighed. “Fine… but, only if you let me help you. We can stay just until Sonya gets back… and, if she asks why the hell you were over here, you’re taking all the blame… <em> and, </em>if you’re hurting later, that’s not my fault either.” </p><p>Newt raised a brow at him. “That’s quite a lot of conditions there… anything <em> else </em>you’d like to add?” </p><p>“Don’t be a smart ass?” </p><p>Newt smiled sleepily, his cheeks had gone slightly red. “No promises…” </p><p>Thomas rolled his eyes playfully, then grabbed his friend’s arm and pulled it over his shoulder. A brief pang of panic flashed through him when Newt’s face contorted in pain briefly, but when the two stood up, it didn’t happen again, so Thomas couldn’t make much of it. </p><p>Once the two were standing, Newt nearly lost his balance. His legs buckled out from beneath him, stumbling almost to the point where Thomas wanted to sit him down again. But, the boy managed to right himself after about a minute, even if the leg he put his weight on was shaking considerably. </p><p>“You Okay?” Thomas asked cautiously. </p><p>“Yep,” Newt murmured awkwardly. “Yeah, <em> brilliant…”  </em></p><p>“Are you Sure—?” </p><p>“I’m bloody <em> positive,” </em>Newt responded quickly. </p><p>So, even if Thomas wasn’t totally comfortable with how he was fueling his friend’s bad decisions, he helped him to hobble over to the edge of the cave. When the two reached the spot, Thomas cast a look down to the beach in question. Even if everyone was hard at work, there was still wood and supplies littered everywhere, along with a few broken structures and some tarp and wire. </p><p>“It’s a little messy,” he pointed out as he helped his friend to sit down. “But—!” </p><p>“It looks <em> amazing…” </em>Newt breathed. </p><p>Thomas cast a brief look over to his friend, but the boy’s eyes were transfixed on the horizon. It suddenly occurred to him that he’d probably never even seen a beach before… “It reminds me of the glade in a way,” Thomas pointed out. “A bigger version at least… I think you’ll like it here… y’know being a Glader at Heart or whatever.” </p><p>Newt cast him a slightly odd, but knowing look that seemed more amused if anything. “Been talking to Minho, have we?” </p><p>Thomas wasn’t sure if he was supposed to keep his mouth shut on that one or not. His face felt hot.  “...Sorry…” </p><p>“No, t’s alright… Shank’s got a point, I suppose… haven’t always fared well with being called that, but… he’s right in some ways… I’ve never really known what I wanted from life. I wasn’t happy in The Glade and not in WCKD, I bloody <em> hated </em>the maze…  Never got a break either… I used to think that was what my problem was, but now that I’ve thought it over, I’m not so sure that’s the case…” </p><p>“Then… What <em> is?”  </em></p><p>“Wish I could tell you, Tommy… and, I really wish I knew for myself… but, I haven’t got the foggiest…” </p><p>“Well… You’re not alone… I don’t know what <em> I </em>want either…” </p><p>Newt quieted quickly about his own problems and instead turned to Thomas curiously. Thomas tried to not look completely awestruck  by the curious look Newt gave him, though his heart had started to pound a bit. “What do you mean?” </p><p>“Uh... Well... You’re lucky you’re even <em> remotely </em>able to fit in here. You could work in the gardens, but there’s no in for people like Minho and I…” </p><p>“Ah…” Newt sat back slightly. “No runners.” </p><p>“<em> Or </em> scientists. It’s a good thing,” Thomas said. “I know it is. Runners were used to find a way out and to map their surroundings. When I was with WCKD, I was trying to find out how to cure this virus… but there’s no need to do that here… so, I really don’t have much here…” </p><p>“You Have your friends… freedom… <em> peace…”  </em></p><p>“I could say the same to you,” Thomas pointed out quietly. “And, yet, we left a whole world to die even when I found a cure…”</p><p>“Well…” Newt frowned. “Then why not go back…?” </p><p>Thomas chuckled almost ironically. “What if I told you that you weren’t the first to ask that?”</p><p>“I’d honestly believe you <em> wholeheartedly….”  </em></p><p>“I can’t even leave on a supply run… what makes you think I can work up the courage to leave to save the world? </p><p>“So… your problem is that you don’t want to go?” </p><p>“No, I <em> do… </em> but, I <em> can’t…”  </em></p><p>“Why not?” </p><p>Thomas cast an unfortunate look over to his friend beside him, suddenly reminded of how many he’d lost. How many he’d failed to save. “Because… Because I didn’t want to lose you, too…” </p><p>Newt’s brow lifted slightly in realization and he turned his attention back to the beach below him, but he wasn’t looking at it. Instead, his gaze seemed to have gone distant, most likely in deep thought. “I wouldn’t still be here if it wasn’t for you, Tommy. And, I’m grateful to you for that… but, if you can fix the world, <em> fix it… </em> don’t let <em> me </em> get in the way… and, don’t let this happen to anyone else…”  </p><p>Thomas cast another look to his friend beside him, his voice a bit uneasy and nervous. “Easier said than done… last time I tried, <em> you </em> nearly died… and, <em> I </em> didn’t even accomplish what I was doing… Then, <em> Teresa…” </em> he trailed off with a bitter sigh, the sight of her falling was suddenly fresh in his mind. “I’ve already lost so many… <em> too </em>many…”</p><p>“Well…” Newt laid a gentle and slightly trembling hand on his shoulder and squeezed once. A shiver went down Thomas’ spine at the touch.“Nothin’s gonna happen to me here… unless a <em> giant </em>tidal wave suddenly takes over this island, I’m not going anywhere.” </p><p>“Oh, come on…” Thomas nudged Newt’s arm slightly and scoffed in disbelief. “You said so yourself. We started this together, might as well end it that way too…” </p><p>Newt fell silent at that. He turned to look at Thomas, a realizing expression settling across his face. </p><p>“What?” </p><p>Newt's jaw clenched and unclenched. He blinked a few times as he seemingly processed something in his mind, but he never shared what he was thinking. The sunlight was reflecting off of his slightly sweaty cheeks, the breeze weaves through his soft hair, Thomas couldn’t help but stare. </p><p>It didn’t take long for Newt to notice his eyes on him and, when he looked up as well, their gazes met. </p><p>It was suddenly apparent how close they were sitting here on the edge of the cliff. Words sprang into action into Thomas’ head, things he wasn’t sure if he wanted to share or not, but he couldn’t find the right way to form them either. “I...” </p><p>Newt swallowed. He looked as if he wanted to speak, but he wasn’t given much of a chance anyway when a voice suddenly piped up behind the two. </p><p>“So, what are we talking about?” </p><p>Thomas jumped slightly and turned his head to see Minho standing there expectantly, his hands planted on his hips. “Minho!” He sputtered. “We were just—!” </p><p><em> “Thomas…” </em> Minho’s gaze drifted to Newt briefly and his eyebrow raised in question. “So there was a party and no one invited me?” </p><p>“I-I wasn’t given much of a <em> choice,”  </em>Thomas scoffed indignantly. “Just wanted to help before he fell onto his face.” </p><p>Newt rolled his eyes, he pulled away from Thomas noticeably.  “If there <em> was </em> a  party right now, it wouldn’t be a very <em> fun </em> one, if that’s what you’re wondering.” </p><p>Thomas realized all too late that the comment was really supposed to be more of an insult. </p><p>“You supposed to be up?” Minho continued instead. </p><p>Newt shrugged. “It’s <em> my </em>body.” </p><p>Minho rolled his eyes as well, then came to take a seat on Newt’s other side. “And, yet it’s managed by a complete shucking <em> moron. </em> You look <em> phenomenal </em> in health right now,” he added sarcastically. <em> “Definitely </em>like you should be hanging out with another moron on the edge of a cliff.” </p><p>“See, that’s where you’re wrong,” Newt pointed out. “I’ll be hanging out with <em> two </em> morons <em> …”  </em></p><p>Even that one earned a small chuckle of amusement from Thomas. </p><p>“Smartass,” Minho mumbled. “Sonya know you’re up?” </p><p>“Doesn’t need to,” Newt replied. “Not Right now at least. She’s got enough to worry about…” </p><p>“You do realize this isn’t going to help you get better, don’t you?” </p><p>Newt shrugged again. “It was getting stuffy back there anyways… fresh air feels nice…” </p><p>Minho sighed in defeat and didn’t press the subject any further. He seemed to have realized similar things that Thomas had. “I finished up the pile, by the way, Thomas,” he said instead. “Took a break when the woodchoppers did.” </p><p>“Good,” Thomas nodded in response. “How much was left?” </p><p>“Nothing I couldn’t handle even after you walked off.” </p><p>Thomas rolled his eyes slightly. “Did they say when they’d be back?” </p><p>“Later?” Minho guessed. “I wasn’t given much of a time frame anyways. I would say sometime after dinner. Anywhere else in particular you’d like to help out later?” </p><p>“How are they handling the garden?” Thomas felt Newt shift slightly beside him at the mention, but he didn’t seem to have any more energy than that. His head was tilted slightly, almost resting on Thomas’ shoulder.</p><p>“Don’t have a lot of seeds to go off of. A few plants survived, but they’re not doing very well either.” </p><p>“Did they plant the branches?” Newt’s voice was so quiet and sleepy that Thomas almost missed it. </p><p>“Branches?” </p><p>Newt nodded slightly. He didn’t raise his distant gaze from the ocean, but he spoke anyways. “They can be like saplings… grow pretty fast, too… jus’... just have to know where to cut ‘em…” </p><p>“Wow,” Minho commented. “Leave it to Farm Boy over here. You wanna go down there and put them in their place?”</p><p>Newt exhaled through his nose in amusement, but it was ultimately Thomas who spoke the situation. </p><p>“I don’t think he’ll manage to stay upright for more than ten minutes,” he admitted. Judging by Newt’s half-lidded eyes, it seemed to be almost less than that… “Newt, you want to go lay down?” </p><p>Though he seemed half asleep, Newt shook his head idly in response. He didn’t say anything and instead kept his gaze locked onto the beach below. The setting sun illuminated his relaxed features in a golden orange color, the sweet and salty sea breeze gently blew his hair from his forehead. His normally dark eyes were lit up golden. </p><p>Conversation now forgotten, Thomas turned his attention to the horizon in front of them. He swallowed nervously when Newt’s Head laid down the rest of the way on his shoulder. Work-talk could wait. Why pass up such a beautiful sight anyways? Minho seemed to agree. </p><p>And, for that brief moment, Thomas felt himself relax, too. He was sitting with his two best friends simply staring at the ocean. No one could get them, they weren’t running anymore, and, most importantly, they were together. He wasn’t sure anything else could’ve mattered more. </p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After a long day hard at work, Thomas  had gone to sleep. Even a few days after the storm, the work was still tough and long   He hadn't realized how tired he was until he had laid down but, <em> man, </em>the cave’s stone floor had never felt more comfortable. </p><p>He slept like a rock beside his friends for most of the night in a dark and  dreamless slumber. For once in a long time, nothing actually startled him to awareness. Not his dreams and not some random noise, not even Brenda’s snoring. It was nice. Until it wasn’t. </p><p>Thomas had been warm and comfortably sleeping when he was suddenly awoken by the feeling of hands on his shoulders. </p><p>“Thomas…!” The familiar voice whispered. “Thomas, wake up…!” </p><p>Thomas groaned and mumbled something under his breath that even <em> he </em> didn’t understand. The voice didn’t sound too desperate anyways. He moved to turn over, too exhausted to deal with whatever crisis was going on right now, but the person was relentless. </p><p><em> “Thomas!” </em>Whoever has been trying to awaken him suddenly succeeded with a slap so sharp to his face, it echoed through the cave. </p><p>Thomas’ eyes flew open after that and he shot up, hand flying to cup his stinging cheek. “Ow!” He growled and backed away defensively.<em> “What?”  </em></p><p>Brenda was kneeling in front of him, her finger on her sheepishly smiling lips, shushing him. “Come on. Follow me!” </p><p>“What—?” Before he was given much other chance to respond, Brenda suddenly grabbed his arm and dragged him into a standing position. Thomas was left to follow behind her, his feet mostly stumbling uselessly behind him as she led him to the entrance of the cave. </p><p>The sun was barely peeking over the horizon as the two began making their way down the cliff side, it was still really too dark to see much. And, it was chilly, much to Thomas’ displeasure. Not to mention, climbing down this hill wasn’t much fun with his tired, listless feet. </p><p>“Where are we going?” He finally found the decency to ask, his voice nothing short of a whine. </p><p>“Quit being a baby!” Brenda scoffed. She had long since let go of his arm, but Thomas still felt obliged to follow. Though it was mostly out of curiosity, Brenda didn’t seem all that urgent either… more… <em> excited </em>if anything. </p><p>About <em> what, </em> Thomas wasn’t exactly  sure, but he hoped it would be at least worth his while. “But, it’s <em> early, </em> Brenda! Can it <em> really </em>not—?” </p><p>“God, you’re all so whiny in the morning! Did you know that, Thomas? How annoyingly whiny you all are?” </p><p>“All?” Thomas lifted his gaze from Brenda to the area she was most likely leading him and frowned. A dark silhouette sat predominantly in his field of vision, though he didn’t need any help defining what it was. <em> “Brenda, </em>why are we going to the Berg?”</p><p>Brenda didn’t respond to the question and instead she waved at him dismissively as if she expected him to connect the dots himself. “Wait at the hatch with the others!” She sighed to him. Then, before Thomas could respond, she raced ahead towards the front. </p><p>Thomas wanted briefly to follow her, but his attention was drawn elsewhere. To the voices at the back of the Berg. Most likely what, or rather, <em> who </em>she’d been recently referring to. </p><p>“Thomas, you <em> Shank…” </em> Thomas  recognized Minho’s groggy voice instantly as he rounded the corner. “Was it <em> you </em>behind this?” </p><p>Behind the Berg, a group of three familiar people stood, crowded in a semi circle and staring at him with half-lidded eyes. </p><p>“It wasn’t <em> me.” </em> Thomas shot back  defensively. “I was <em> sleeping!”  </em></p><p>Frypan snorted and tilted his  head to the side like he was trying to get a crink out of his neck. “Yeah? Get in line…” </p><p>“So we’re <em> all </em> in the dark, then?” Gally  piped up. </p><p>Thomas nodded tiredly, everyone seemed to be in agreement.</p><p> “Maybe they need help packing?” Frypan suggested. “And, couldn’t do it themselves for some reason…?” </p><p>“It doesn’t take this many people to pack, Fry,” Gally said. “Besides, couldn’t they at least <em> ask?”  </em></p><p>“I would’ve said no,” Minho said plainly. “ I’ve got enough to do as is.” </p><p>Frypan frowned. “Really? All you do is walk around camp looking for trouble to get into.” </p><p>Minho opened his mouth to give a sharp-tongued response, but thankfully another voice spoke before he could get anything out. </p><p>“You really <em> are </em> all babies when you wake up, aren’t you?” </p><p>Thomas turned his head to see Brenda walking up behind him, her arms crossed. “I see I’ve walked into the Dog-Pit.”</p><p>“It’s <em> early.” </em>Minho grumbled. </p><p>“You know, <em> generally, </em> if you want to go on  a trip, you get up <em> early </em>for a good head start.” </p><p>“Trip?” The pieces finally connected in Thomas’ head not too long after that and he turned so he was fully facing Brenda.</p><p>“We need supplies, Thomas,” Brenda said before he could get anything out though. “It’s not going to be very long anyways. Vine has approved and you’ve all been cleared of duty for a little while.” </p><p>But, she still left out one, tiny detail, Thomas noticed. “Brenda, I told you <em> no. </em>We have—!” </p><p>“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Brenda rolled her  eyes. “Recognized and accounted for.” She reached over and pressed the button to unlatch the back of the berg, then stepped back. </p><p>Thomas frowned at her briefly, then turned his attention to whatever it was she wanted them to see. What he saw, however, only made him feel worse. <em> “No.” </em>He said before he could stop himself. </p><p>Sitting on one of the seats in the berg, Newt rolled his eyes. “If you’re going to be a bloody twat about getting supplies because you’re scared a buggin’ <em> tidal wave </em> is gonna sweep me up from a <em> cave </em> on the side of a <em> mountain </em>, I might as well come with.” </p><p>“You’re not better yet!” Minho piped up in shock and jammed a finger harshly towards the boy. He had a point.  </p><p>Even from here Thomas could see that Newt looked pale and… <em> exhausted, </em>even opposed to how tired he, himself, was feeling. As if the boy hadn’t slept in weeks. It was very worrying. </p><p>“Well, <em> yeah,” </em> Newt frowned, then nodded  slightly to his left where Sonya was sitting with Harriet and Aris, all staring at them too. “That’s what she’s for…” </p><p>Even his <em> voice </em> sounded weak. </p><p>“You’re <em> okay </em> with this?” Gally demanded, his expression disbelieving at Sonya. </p><p><em> “Please,” </em> Newt sighed before Sonya  could get out so much as a shrug. “I’m here for moral support. I reckon it’ll be more comfortable for you lot knowing that I’m not dead on buggin’ a cave floor. Now stop your worrying, I’m already in…” </p><p>Thomas exchanged a look with the rest of the boys behind him, all looking as equally appalled and unsure as he felt. Would they argue? Agree? Try anything? What could they possibly do?</p><p>It was Gally who sighed and spoke first. “Stubborn Shank…” he mumbled under his breath, then shrugged at Thomas innocently. “Believe me when I say, Greenie, I haven’t ever been able to talk him out of things when his mind is made up… none of us have…” </p><p>“True,” Frypan muttered. </p><p>Even Minho, who was arguably just as, if not more stubborn than Newt, nodded. “Touché…” </p><p>After that, all of them turned to Thomas questioningly. </p><p> Thomas wanted to argue. He wanted so badly to go against the logic, but his knowledge of the truth trumped even his fear of losing his friend again. He couldn’t fight this no matter how hard he tried. Even after everything he’d done trying to keep Newt safe. He turned to the boy sitting in the Berg and gave him the most long-lasting deadpanned look he could manage, but Newt barely reacted. </p><p>His eyebrows were raised questioningly, almost as if he was asking Thomas to try it. Like some kind of mother chiding her kids.</p><p> “Fine…” Thomas tried to ignore how hot his cheeks suddenly felt, he finally sighed in defeat and looked away. “You realize how stupid this is?” </p><p>At that, Newt smiled, even as small and  hidden as it was. “Take a taste of your own medicine, Tommy. It’s not very nice, is it?” </p><p>Thomas simply rolled his eyes and stepped  into the jet. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Thomas knew he couldn’t stop this from happening, but that didn’t stop him from trying to stall just a bit. He went as slow as he could packing the remaining supplies in the back, but it didn't take Brenda long to catch on. She’d ended up taking a lot of supplies straight from his hands to speed him up. </p><p>They’d set off on the berg right on schedule anyways, much to Thomas’ disappointment. And, they were in for a pretty long trip. </p><p>Thomas honestly couldn’t say what the rest of the travelers thought of this. He would’ve liked to think they weren’t very happy either, but they were acting so normal as they basically flew back into the storm. </p><p>Gally and Minho sat beside Thomas on the left side of the jet while the rest sat across from them. Besides Jorge and Brenda who sat up front. </p><p>Sonya and Harriet sat <em> very </em>close to each other as they talked to Aris about some story from their own Glade. Frypan was talking to Newt on their other side, but the boy in question seemed to be only half-listening. It looked like he was trying to, but his face kept contorting slightly about every five seconds, almost painfully so. </p><p>Thomas felt uneasy for himself <em> and </em> his  friends, really. He’d lost a friend last time he’d been out there, nearly lost <em> another </em> who was <em> willingly </em> going back as well. He understood why they were all doing so, but it didn’t ease his nervous feelings at all. He didn’t want to lose them. He wasn’t sure he could handle it again. </p><p>He ultimately decided to try and focus on what they were doing. It had always helped him in the past to not dwell on things. So, he’d pushed himself the seats along the Berg and headed up from to the spots Jorge and Brenda occupied. </p><p>“Thomas,” Jorge greeted first without either taking his hands off the wheel or lifting his eyes off of the sky in front of him.  </p><p>“How are… How are things going?” Thomas asked quietly. The sky ahead seemed calm and was a lovely, calming shade of blue, a few large, white clouds were scattered across it.  </p><p>“Pretty good,” Brenda answered. “It’s been smooth sailing. We land in a couple of hours…” </p><p>“You never <em> did </em> tell me,” Thomas said  and leaned against the wall. “Where <em> are </em>we going?” </p><p>“We’ll be landing on the shore a few miles East of where we docked,” Jorge responded. “There’s a a city a little ways North. We’ll look for supplies there.” </p><p>“Why are we landing on shore and not just as close to the city as we can?” Thomas asked. </p><p>Brenda gave him a slight look over her shoulder. “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” she said. “The cliff might provide coverage from WCKD.” </p><p>Thomas nodded. “So, it’ll just be Sonya and Newt keeping an eye on the Berg while we scout?” </p><p>Brenda frowned at him. “Oh. She told you she was staying behind?” </p><p>“Well, no…” Thomas scratched his head. “I just <em> figured…”  </em></p><p> “I’m sure Newt will be <em> thrilled </em> about  <em> that…”  </em></p><p>“With Sonya?” Thomas cast a look back to the people in question, for the first time noticing some similarities. Hair color, skin color… just the way they even <em> sat… </em>“No…” he said to Brenda and was sure to be vague. “He doesn’t mind her…” </p><p>“Oh?” This time, Brenda actually turned to face him. A mischievous look sparked in her eye, but she also seemed very… awkward. “He, Uh… does he have a… <em> thing </em>for her…?” </p><p>Thomas couldn’t help the disgusted look that crept onto his face. He quickly tried to cover it so as to not give away his own jealousy at the statement, but more importantly not too much away about Newt’s actual secret until the time was right, but Brenda noticed.</p><p>“Is there else something I should know about?” </p><p>“No,” Thomas finally said awkwardly. His ears felt hot now.  “Erm, no to both questions…” </p><p>A small grin crept onto Brenda’s face. It was almost… <em> relieved… </em>“good… because I’m pretty sure Sonya and Harriet are…” she wiggled her eyebrows, then winked. “Y’know?” </p><p>Thomas chuckled slightly. “Yeah…” </p><p>“But, still… seriously,” Brenda sat forwards. “Because if there’s something you’re not telling me…?” </p><p>“There’s not,” Thomas replied quickly. He didn’t feel all too comfortably lying to her, but it wasn’t his place to say. And, he didn’t want her grilling Newt about it either. </p><p>“Okay,” Brenda backed off and raised her hands in surrender. “Alright, Thomas, I’ll believe you…” </p><p>Thomas didn’t even comment, he tried to change the subject as quickly as he could. “So, Uh… still a few hours?” </p><p>Brenda nodded her head and, after that, Thomas turned to go. </p><p>“Hey, Uh… by the way…?”</p><p>Thomas paused to look back at her  questioningly. </p><p>“I really am, Uh… <em> sorry </em> for forcing you  to come along…” Brenda clasped her hands in her lap. “I didn’t feel safe bringing Newt either, I really didn’t, but he <em> insisted… </em> practically <em> begged </em> me <em> ... </em> then, eventually told me to my face that I’d have a hard time stopping him… he just seemed so… <em> desperate </em>to help…” </p><p>Thomas sighed knowingly, a small smile on his lips. “Yeah, he can be like that sometimes. He doesn’t listen to me that much, either if it makes you feel any better… he probably would’ve gotten the cure sooner if he wasn’t so head-strong about everything.” </p><p>Brenda laughed, head bobbing in agreement. </p><p>“And, Uh… <em> by the way…” </em> Thomas smiled  sheepishly. “I’m not sure I ever got a chance to formally thank you for getting there in time… for getting him the cure and stabilizing him even when <em> I </em>ran…” </p><p>Brenda’s smile faltered for a moment and a look of genuine shock crossed her face. Eventually, however, the original smile returned… almost <em> happier. </em>“I’m just glad it wasn’t all for nothing…” she said. “I’m glad he’s doing better now… it looked iffy for a while there…” </p><p>Thomas nodded his agreement and, this time when he turned back around, she didn’t call out to him. So, Thomas headed back to where he’d been sitting beside Minho, but was quickly confused at why the boy in question didn’t even acknowledge his presence. </p><p>Instead, Minho had his eyes glued seriously to the floor, seemingly lost in thought. </p><p>“Hey, you okay?” </p><p>Minho jumped, eyes darting up to meet him. “Huh? Oh… yeah, great… just thinkin’ is all…” </p><p>“About What?” </p><p>Minho shrugged absently. “It’s taken my entire life to get rid of all of this action. And, now here I am rushing back into it.” </p><p>“Yeah, I don’t think we were made to relax,” Thomas agreed. “Our entire lives have been committed to finding the cure, whether we liked it or not.” </p><p>“Do you still want to find it?” Minho asked. </p><p>Thomas sighed unfortunately. He cast a look across the Berg towards Newt. “That’s the thing, though, we <em> found </em> it. I wasn’t so keen about doing that, but after what happened to Newt… I think I understand what it's like to lose a friend to The Flare. I understand what people go through and I pity them. We got lucky, I suppose, in an odd way, that only <em> one </em>of us wasn't immune…” </p><p>“Well, Thomas, I can't say we’ll <em> ever  </em>know. Almost everyone we grew up with is gone…” </p><p>This time, Thomas clapped Minho on the shoulder and a smile grew on his face. “The least we can do is try to make it up to them for this. Make their lives worth living. Try and fix the world before it's completely past its own gone…” </p><p>Minho gave him an uncertain look. “That’s not going to be very easy, Shank…” </p><p>“Come on, Minho,” Thomas sighed and sat back. “You should know by <em> now, </em> at least… <em> Nothing </em> we do is.” </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey! I’m so glad people have been enjoying this work! I take things very seriously when it comes to writing, so expect more I guess. Sorry it takes so long to get these chapters out, I’ve really got no excuse other than I procrastinate like it’s nobody business...<br/>Anyways, I know this chapter was a bit slower paced, but don’t worry, I plan to crank up the action soon. (Pun intended?)<br/>I decided to take one last breather before diving in. Kinda like the calm before the storm... so, stay tuned! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Only a few minutes after the berg landed did the group, minus Newt and Sonya, set out. They’d landed on a beach near a town or city with a cliff over it to provide some coverage. </p><p>The walk was long and hot to the heart of the town, but, to Thomas, it was nowhere near as bad as The Scorch… or escaping the maze… or escaping the WCKD compound… being attacked at The Right Arm… escaping the Last City— nonetheless, walking was probably the least difficult thing he’d had to do on The Mainland. </p><p>They’d had to walk through the  underneath of three broken buildings that had formed some sort of tunnel. It was incredibly difficult to navigate with how much debris was littered around, but they’d managed. The walk through the city was undeniable much worse. </p><p>After reaching the center, the spot they’d regroup later, the large group broke into two smaller ones to cover more ground quicker. They’d meet back in that spot in about an hour. </p><p>Thomas was sent with Brenda, Minho, and Gally to the East side of town in search of, specifically, medical supplies, but they were also to pick up whatever else they could find. </p><p>Besides the cranks, there wasn’t a lot in the town as they crossed it, not anything that Thomas could see anyways. It was concerning, to say the least, seeing that the only thing left of the world was it’s chaos and destruction. Most of the stores had already been raided and many other places laid in ruins. There wasn’t a lot to find. </p><p>“How do you guys <em> usually find supplies?”  Minho asked Brenda after walking for a solid five minutes or so through the ruins. “‘Cause, to me, there doesn’t seem to be <em> anything </em> left.”  </em></p><p>“It gets <em> harder </em> every time,” Brenda responded nonchalantly. “But, as long as you know where to look…” </p><p>Thomas really wasn’t sure what that was even supposed to mean anymore. He’d honestly given up trying to understand. Nonetheless, the group kept walking in silent search. Thomas was sure to keep his horizons broad and, for a while, it didn’t really seem to be working. That was until he saw it. </p><p>The place in question was a boarded up Convenience Store which had most likely been raided as well. At least, that’s what the outward appearance said. </p><p>The only hope Thomas got that there were still some things left was the bright red letters painted across the front. BEWARE! CRANKS INSIDE! Perhaps the very notion had scared other survivors away? “Hey, What about <em> that </em> place?” </p><p>The others paused to look at him in confusion. </p><p>“And, <em> how </em>is that different than any other place we’ve seen, Genius?” Minho asked.</p><p>But, Thomas was already heading towards it, forcing the others to follow. </p><p>“Hey, Greenie, wait up!” Gally called behind him. </p><p>A small hand suddenly grabbed onto Thomas’s shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. “Yeah<em> , slow down,” </em>Brenda chided as she turned him around to face her. “What’s your motive behind this?” </p><p>“Do you really think it would hurt to check?” </p><p>“There’s literally a warning painted in bright red letters!”  Brenda exclaimed. “Telling us to keep <em> out!” </em></p><p>“Well, that’s kinda my point...” Thomas responded. “It keeps people away, so there must be still some stuff left, right? Stuff people couldn’t get.” </p><p>“That’s a <em> giant </em> assumption.” Gally  chimed in. “There might be <em> only </em> cranks in there, not anything <em> we </em>need!” </p><p>But Thomas simply shrugged them off. “You can wait out here if you want to,” he told them. “I’m just going to check, I’ll be back soon.” After that, he continued walking up to the Convenience store, determined, and, despite their doubts, Brenda, Minho, and Gally followed. </p><p>The glass to the front doors was broken, completely throwing off the use of the chain and lock around the handles. It was the only part of the store that wasn’t completely boarded up. </p><p>Thomas peered into the dimmed area first, then stepped through the hole carefully. When nothing immediately leapt out to eat his face, he continued forwards. The glass crunched dreadfully beneath his feet. </p><p>In the doorway, in almost an insulting  welcome, a headless body sat slumped against the wall. Across his lap, his hands grasped a rifle tightly. </p><p>“Well, <em> that’s </em>reassuring,” Minho quipped without missing a beat. </p><p>“Look on the bright side,” Brenda snorted, then reached down and gently slid the rifle out of the lifeless hands. She popped open the chamber and peered inside. “It’s still got ammo.” </p><p>“This really seems like a sign,” Gally said as the group pressed on past the body. “I don’t mean to be a downer or anything, but a dead body in the entryway?” </p><p>“Oh, <em> lighten up, </em>Gally,” Minho shot back. “There are dead bodies everywhere.” </p><p>Almost on cue, proving Minho’s point exactly, a low growling screech suddenly erupted from the shadows. </p><p>Thomas flinched away in surprise when a crank suddenly lunged at him, but a bang burst through the air and the crank hit the floor before it could get far. </p><p>Brenda loaded the next shotgun shell  almost nonchalantly and nodded to Gally as she passed him. “Dead bodies everywhere,” she confirmed. “Thomas, come with me to The Pharmacy. Gally, Minho, go see if you can find anything useful in here.” </p><p>“And, if we see a Crank?” </p><p>Brenda shrugged as she reached into her pack and pulled out two flashlights. She handed one to Thomas, then tossed the other to Gally. “Try not to get your faces eaten off?” </p><p>“Yep,” Minho sighed. “Definitely reassuring.” </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It was honestly depressing how little things Thomas and Brenda found on their way over to the pharmacy. They only managed a single can of beans and an old, torn up jacket hidden around the store. The rest of the place was basically scraped clean and there was nothing of use anywhere in there. </p><p>When they finally <em> did </em> reach The Pharmacy, however, they weren’t exactly reassured by what they found. </p><p>“It’s boarded up,” Brenda pointed out, blatantly stating the obvious as she gestured to the back door. </p><p>Thomas was about to walk up to it, but he paused at the sound of a sudden thud from behind it. He frowned briefly and exchanged a look with Brenda beside him, then swallowed. Brenda raised her rifle as he stepped forwards slightly. </p><p>“Hello?” Thomas called towards the door hesitantly. “Is there anyone alive in there?” </p><p>A low moan suddenly echoed from the door that slowly faded into a desperate growl. The thud sounded again, this time a lot closer to a hearty bang. That was a no. </p><p>Thomas sighed. “Should we risk it?” He asked Brenda cautiously. </p><p>“Well, maybe they trapped him back  there after they raided it?” </p><p>“Or they trapped him before they could get around to it?” </p><p>Brenda’s face faded into an expression  of disapproval, but before she could get around to actually arguing, they were both suddenly momentarily blinded by a flashlight down the aisle. </p><p>“Hey!” Minho’s voice called. “Did you two find anything?” </p><p>“Uh—!” Thomas held up his hand to try and block out the blinding light, blinking rapidly in an effort to see again. “Not much!” He finally called back. </p><p>The light finally drifted to the ground as Minho and Gally’s footsteps began heading closer. Unfortunately, it seemed they hadn’t had much luck either. </p><p>“Oh, you guys found some <em> beans?”  </em>Minho pointed out in awe upon locating the can on the counter. </p><p>“What’d <em> you </em> find?” Brenda asked. </p><p>“Not a lot more, if that’s what you’re asking,” Gally said. He reached forwards and set a bag of chips, a pair of sunglasses, and an empty canteen on the counter beside the beans. </p><p>“Yeah, that’s—!” Another bang suddenly  sounded from the door again, cutting off the rest of Brenda’s snarky comment sharply. </p><p>Both Gally and Minho jumped in shock and whipped towards it questioningly. </p><p>“What was—?” </p><p>More banging, this time more desperate, the austere growling started up again, louder and louder with each passing second. </p><p>Thomas exchanged a brief look with Brenda beside him and she loaded the rifle in response. He cast a look to the other two and they nodded, reaching to grab their own much less automatic weapons. </p><p>After that, Thomas slowly crept over to the doors, towards the growling. He took one side of the boarded up wood and Brenda took the other. He looked up to meet her eye, then held up three fingers. </p><p>‘Three… two… one…!’ Thomas pulled at the wood as hard as he could and Brenda did the same. At first it didn’t budge and, besides the slight creaking noise, it didn’t seem like it was moving either. But, slowly, <em> eventually </em>it began to give. </p><p>Thomas pulled harder, harder than he ever had it seemed like, until suddenly, the wood snapped and, at the same time, the door burst open. It slammed into his face, knocking him back a step, but before he could regain himself, something suddenly lunged from the room on top of him. </p><p>The single growling that they'd been hearing suddenly duplicated, gunshots exploded in the air, and Thomas hit the ground with a thud. </p><p>Thomas pressed his hands upwards into the crank suddenly on top of him to keep him away, but was suddenly frozen in shock. His eyes were locked onto the face of the crank… no, the <em> boy </em>above him. </p><p>He didn’t even seem like he’d been turned for more than a week or so. He still had mostly human features and most of his hair was still intact. </p><p>Thomas couldn’t help but be reminded of the last time a Crank attacked him. And, he could help but remember that a real person had been behind it. And, that a real person was behind <em> every </em>one of them. What if this was Newt right now? What would he have done then? He couldn’t just kill Newt, could he? </p><p>“Thomas!” </p><p>A bang suddenly burst through the air, and the crank lurched to the side. It fell onto Thomas limply, startling him out of his daze. Newt’s face on the Crank has disappeared, it fell into the simple category as dead now. Then, before he could even get up, the body was pushed off of him and Brenda was yanking him up. </p><p>“Are you okay?” She asked worriedly.</p><p>“F- <em> Fine.” </em> Thomas answered. He  brushed himself off shakily, then cast a look around to the mess of bodies littered around them. There had to be at least 10 of them, all dressed in varying clothing such as lab coats, some pretty <em> normal </em>looking clothing, and some Scorch survival-ware. </p><p>“Alright, stop lollygagging and lets go,” Brenda demanded confidently. “Before their friends show up.” </p><p>Thomas nodded numbly, feet stumbling to follow the group as they headed into the back room. What he found inside was enough to freeze him in his tracks. </p><p>“Supplies!” Minho gasped, speaking Thomas’ mind perfectly. “Some survivors must’ve gotten locked in here with one of ‘em or something. I don’t think anyone escaped.” </p><p>Thomas sighed unfortunately as he headed up to the stack of supplies in the corner. It felt wrong taking the stuff, but the dead survivors didn’t need them <em> now, </em>did they? </p><p>“Grab as much as you can,” Gally instructed without hesitation. “She’s right. That fight was loud. There’ll be more.” </p><p>“You guys go ahead,” Thomas told them. “I’ll give the room a quick look before we go.” </p><p><em> “Really, </em>Thomas?” </p><p>Thomas turned around and started heading away before they complain much more. The shelves in here were empty as well, but at least this time Thomas wasn’t shocked by it. </p><p>There was a solid white door along the  back wall and, when he paused to test it, it was locked. </p><p>It looked like it could possibly be some kind of extra storage room or something. It definitely seemed more important, seeing as it was locked with a padlock. In order to get in, he would need some kind of clearance card… but, where could he get—! </p><p>The thought suddenly slammed into him and Thomas was shocked that he hadn’t thought of it earlier. Ignoring his friend’s protests, he ran past them back towards the door. He crouched down next to the first pharmacist he could find, then reached down and grabbed the ID from their pocket. </p><p>He tried not to look at whoever’s ID this was, he didn’t want to be reminded of the horrors of the world and the fate of the person. Instead, he tried to focus on the good stuff. Like how when he slid the card across the pad, it flashed green and the door unlocked. And, what he found inside made it all worth it. </p><p>“Guys!” He called to his friends  excitedly. “Come look at this!” </p><p>The sound of footsteps began coming closer and Thomas pulled open the door wider, smiling as his friends went to peer in. </p><p><em> “Woah…” </em>Gally breathed. </p><p>It was rows and rows of medications and medical supplies. A lot was still missing, yes, but it was possibly the best find of the day. Thomas had never felt more pride in his life. </p><p>“We hit the jackpot.” </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After Sonya had said goodbye to her
  <span>friends, she waited with the bay doors open until she couldn’t see them anymore. After that, she was sure to close the doors behind her as she headed back over to Newt. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>A pang of concern crashed into her at
  <span>the sight of him trembling against the seats, with eyes half-lidded and exhausted, but when she reached forwards to lay a hand against his forehead, he pulled away. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“‘M Fine…” Newt mumbled. He cleared
  <span>his throat, then pushed himself off the seats, swaying slightly. “Just a l’il drowsy…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Sonya took a careful seat beside him.
  <span>“You can close your eyes if you want,” she told him gently. “We’re going to be here for a while anyways…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt nodded numbly, then leaned back.
  <span>But, not even a minute passed before he was speaking again. “Sonya, can I… </span>
    <span>tell </span>
  
  <span>you something?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Sonya turned her attention back on
  <span>him. His eyes were closed, but he still spoke to her.  “Sure… what’s up?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt sighed, his head rolled forwards
  <span>so it was dangled over his lap, then he lifted one of his hands up to rest it up against. “When I was asleep… f-for the three weeks, I mean, I had these… </span>
  <em>
    <span>dreams…” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Dreams…” Sonya said for him to keep
  <span>going since he couldn’t see her nod. She was unsure where he was taking this, but willing to listen nonetheless. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“But…” he took a deep breath. “I don’t
  <span>think they were dreams… not </span>
  <em>
    <span>quite… </span>
  </em>
  <span>more like </span>
  <em>
    <span>memories…</span>
  </em>
  <span> like what would happen if someone in the maze was </span>
  <em>
    <span>stung </span>
  </em>
  <span>with griever venom? Like the venom had been a manufactured thing of The Flare?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Sonya’s own maze hadn’t been exactly
  <span>the same, but it’d been pretty close. One major difference was their terminologies, but she’d still seen plenty of girls nearly lose </span>
  <span>their minds with the venom of the monsters that terrorized them… and was shocked by the things they could recall afterwards.  “And, you remembered something?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt nodded. “Jus’...  Not somethin’
  <span>you’d ‘spect anyways… Er... </span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe </span>
  </em>
  <span>you would… or </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>would… ‘Cause I always felt like somethin’s missing…? You know, li’, something was… it was jus’ gone..! Or missing…! Like a puzzle piece—!” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Sonya frowned on confusion and slight
  <span>concern. She jumped in gently when he began rambling a bit.</span>
  <span> “So… like classified information…? Or…?”</span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“No! No, no, no…” Newt pressed the
  <span>heel of his hand against his eye as he shook his head, then grimaced.  “More li’… memories… from m’ past… like </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘fore </span>
  </em>
  <span>WCKD even…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” Sonya was still trying her best
  <span>to be supportive, but she was slowly becoming more and more confused the longer this went on. “Okay…?”</span>
</span></p><p><span>“There was a </span><em><span>fluffy</span></em><span> brown dog and… </span><span>an’, a blonde haired </span><em><span>woman, </span></em><span>who talked li’ </span><em><span>I</span></em><span> do. She was-she w’s talkin’ to two blonde haired young kids… One was a boy, Erm… </span><em><span>me, </span></em><span>I thin’...</span> <span>‘n there was a girl, in a field… I was there watchin’ from a distance, but her voice sounded like she was standin’ right next t’ me…” </span></p><p>
  <span>“And, what else...?” Sonya probed
  <span>gently. She didn’t like how his voice was starting to sound, how he was starting to slur his words together, but she hoped it was just exhaustion. It was also worrying how confusing he made the story sound. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“‘N, she was telling me… </span>
    <span>us… </span>
  
  <span>them…? </span>
  <span>T’ look out for each other ‘n... ‘n that the world was changin’...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… you had a Mum and a sister?”
  <span>Sonya asked quietly. Things were beginning to connect in her mind and she didn’t like how familiar it was sounding. Maybe he </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>sounding </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>confusing after all. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt nodded slightly, he raised his
  <span>head slightly to look at her, his gaze even looked exhausted. “N a dog…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Sonya was still trying to process
  <span>something in her mind. Something she wasn’t even aware of. Something that he seemed to be implying. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Tommy said that he ‘membered somethin
  <span>’, too… about a girl in group B…? That I said goodbye to… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lizzie…” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Voices suddenly began flooding Sonya’s
  <span>subconscious at the sound of that name. Lizzie. There was a woman’s voice, a voice that talked differently than she’d always heard… with an </span>
  <em>
    <span>accent… </span>
  </em>
  <span>a </span>
  <em>
    <span>British</span>
  </em>
  <span> accent… just like Newt. And, the voice of a young boy. A man, an older woman… And, it all began to click. “I… I don’t recall a Lizzie…” she mumbled to him. “In the maze, I mean…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>But, Newt’s eyes fluttered open to
  <span>meet her gaze, somewhat expectant. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to. The look he gave was signal enough. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Sonya suddenly remembered what he’d
  <span>said the first time he’d waken up, it had been very slurred and mumbled, she wasn’t sure if it was even a word at the time. But, now, suddenly it became clear. “You don’t mean…?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt nodded unfortunately. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sonya suddenly realized why she’d been
  <span>so desperate to help Newt when she’d seen him hurt. Why she was so protective, why she refused to leave his side. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>remember a teddy bear and having a dog. A big, brown, fluffy dog like Newt had described with a neon yellow tennis ball. His fur had felt like tiny swirls chocolate clouds. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Toffee…” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Hm?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Toffee…” Sonya turned to look at him,
  <span>eyes wide with shock. “The dog… his name was Toffee… he… he always used to carry around a yellow tennis ball…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt stared back at her with </span>
 half-lidded eyes, a frozen, but shocked, look on his face as he tried to process. His mouth was agape slightly and his breaths came on and out raggedly. 
</p><p>
  <span>Then, Sonya leaned forwards, suddenly
  <span>filled with a whole new protectiveness towards who was most likely her older brother. And, also a bit more worry. She laid a hand on his shoulder when he began swaying. Brother or not, he was still technically her patient. “Newt… are you okay…?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt’s gaze had gone slightly distant
  <span>and, though he tried to blink himself back into reality, he was mostly unsuccessful. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Sonya reached out to catch him in case
  <span>he were to pass out, but before she could, a loud thud suddenly slammed against the doors to the Berg. She leapt into a standing position, half out of fear and half out of being startled, and turned to face it. Something crashed into the doors so hard again, the whole Berg shook and she nearly lost her balance. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Behind her, Newt seemed to have
  <span>gained enough attention to watch as well, as drowsy as he may have looked. He pulled his arms tightly over himself, but didn’t stand up. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Then, suddenly, the doors slammed
  <span>open and, within a heartbeat, guys with guns were flooding the place. They locked onto Sonya fairly quickly when she backed up to put herself between them and Newt. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“What do you want?” She demanded,
  <span>though her shaky voice betrayed her nervousness. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>A tall guy with a red strip around his
  <span>arm snapped his fingers and pointed to Sonya, then two guys came rushing past him, charging straight at the two across the jet. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Don’t move!” One guy yelled at her.
  <span>“Don’t move or we’ll shoot both of you!” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Sonya thought about running, she
  <span>considered the option greatly. If she could take out a few guards, she could have definitely made it. But, with Newt, it was impossible. He couldn’t run. And, judging by the way he’d nearly passed out just now, he wasn’t doing too hot. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Secure them, then search the Berg,”
  <span>one man suddenly said then, just like that, Sonya’s time was up. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The men began charging towards the
  <span>two and Sonya took an uncomfortable step back. Someone grabbed her bicep harshly and, the next thing she knew, she was being dragged out of the Berg. She tried not to struggle too much, mostly out of fear and caution, as she was dragged outside and thrown into the open. She had nowhere to run, the people surrounding her all had guns trained on her. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The sound of heavy and uneven
  <span>footsteps stumbled across the metal floor of the berg, then Newt was suddenly thrown from the berg beside her. He landed on the ground rather ungracefully and, when he struggled with trembling arms to push himself off the ground, Sonya was quick to help him. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>She could feel the intense, worrying
  <span>heat radiating off of him like a furnace as she helped him to stand.</span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>A man suddenly stopped in front of
  <span>them, arms crossed.  “How did you get this ship?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Sonya looked over her shoulder to the
  <span>Berg behind her and grimaced slightly. “We… </span>
  <em>
    <span>found </span>
  </em>
  <span>it…” she lied. “We just—!” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>found </span>
  </em>
  <span>it?” He asked in disbelief. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sonya nodded. “We’re just survivors.
  <span>We needed a place to sleep. My-My </span>
  <em>
    <span>brother, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he’s—!” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Sir,” The man who’d been searching
  <span>the berg interrupted from behind her. “There wasn’t much to see. It looks like it’s just been flown, though, and it has the serial of the Berg that went missing a few months ago… what would you like us to do?”  </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>At that, the man standing in front of
  <span>Sonya and Newt frowned, his brow furrowed in suspicion. “Take it in…” then he pulled something from his pocket, something Sonya recognized as a scanner. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>She cursed silently as he walked behind
  <span>them, and she hoped and prayed that her tracker had somehow been deactivated. But, her fears were soon confirmed, hopes crushed, when she heard a loud chirp, then a green light flashed in her peripherals. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Subject B5 of WCKD, eh?” He </span>
 sounded triumphant, as if he’d just discovered the cure to The Flare. “You must be an escapee.” 
</p><p>
  <span>She heard him move on behind her,
  <span>towards Newt, but she felt her stomach drop in fear when she realized something. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt didn’t have his tracker, it’d been 
  <span>taken out when he and his friends had infiltrated WCKD to save Minho. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Sonya pulled the boy closer to her
  <span>protectively, he shivered against her side and his head hung down limply. She wasn’t sure if he still had the chip that identified him. She debated on just saying to leave him here because he wasn’t important, the others would find him later, but her blood froze in terror at what the man behind them said next. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Not a Subject,” he said. “Get rid of
  <span>him.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“No!” Sonya screamed out before anyone
  <span>could even move to carry out orders. She held out an arm towards the guards and slid in front of Newt protectively. “No. No, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please…</span>
  </em>
  <span> please, don’t. Please. He’s my </span>
  <em>
    <span>brother, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I don’t want to go without him—!” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Family means </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing</span>
  </em>
  <span> with where </span>
  <span>you’re going,” The man sighed, then nodded to the men surrounding. They raised their guns higher, aiming for Newt, but Sonya still put herself further between the two. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen!” She demanded. She tried not
  <span>to grimace away when the men gave her a dirty look. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>to listen to me! This is subject A5 of WCKD’s maze trials!   His tracker was taken out a while ago, but he </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>a subject of WCKD! He was in the same maze as </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thomas</span>
  </em>
  <span> was. I know you know who </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>is.”</span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The men exchanged weary looks with
  <span>each other, clearly unsure, but still not willing to go against orders. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Please,” Sonya continued. “Please have
  <span>some decency! You </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>to let him be. I will cooperate with whatever you say if you just let him be...” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The men faltered only slightly, eyes
  <span>darting from Sonya, to the man, and finally to Newt. Their guns remained trained, but no fingers met triggers. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The man behind her sighed again and,
  <span>for a heartbeat, Sonya though he’d changed his mind. Judging solely from the sigh, he sounded like he would at least give it a chance, but, before he could get around to actually responding, the shit hit the fan. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt’s legs went out from him </span>
 suddenly and he collapsed to the floor in a fit of coughing. But, before Sonya could get pulled down with him, the guy who’d been behind her grabbed her and yanked her away. 
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” She exclaimed. “Hey, let me </span>
  <em>
    <span>go!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, suddenly, everyone else was </span>
  <span>shouting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a <em>crank!” </em></span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Someone shoot him!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Guns were fumbling in grasps, people
  <span>were backing away from Newt’s prone and crumbled body.</span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“No!” Sonya cried out, suddenly </span>
 terrified. She struggled against the man's grip as hard as she could, trying get out of it. Her gaze was locked in her fri… no, her 
  <em>
    <span>brother </span>
  </em>
  <span>laying the ground. “No, he’s not a crank, I promise! He’s not a Crank! Don’t shoot him!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt had begun to twitch on the
  <span>ground, as if his body couldn’t even handle what unknown thing it was going through. He was on his side with his back facing Sonya, covered in dirt. She could hear him choking, gasping in wheezing and ragged breaths. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>When the guards still did not falter,
  <span>she said the first thing that came to mind that would get them to listen to her. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“He’s been </span>
  <em>
    <span>cured!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She exclaimed, tears had begun to leak messily down her cheeks. That comment </span>
  <span>got a reaction, however,  and they all turned to look at her in shock. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Look, </span>
  </em>
  <span>there’s no visible veins! His veins are normal! I know it’s not the Flare because he’s been </span>
  <em>
    <span>cured </span>
  </em>
  <span>of The Flare!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even the grip on her arm lessened
  <span>slightly. The man behind her gasped.</span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Please…” Sonya begged, she tried desperately to pull herself together. “Please let me </span>help him…! Please…!” 
</p><p>
  <span>The guards exchanged odd, questioning
  <span>looks, but they finally began to lower their weapons. The grip on Sonya’s arm let go and she didn’t waste a second to rush over. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Sonya slid to her knees next to her
  <span>brother still on the ground, then reached and turned him over. “Newt?” She asked. “Can you hear me?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The boy’s eyes were tightly shut,
  <span>breaths being dragged in with quick, ragged and raspy movements, and his hand was brought tightly over his chest. Gasping coughs forced their way through his lips nearly every time he exhaled. He didn’t respond to her. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Sonya pressed her hand against his
  <span>forehead, confirming that he was burning up. She pressed two fingers against his throat with the other hand and dread filled her stomach at the feeling of his pulse fluttering unevenly against her fingertips. That wasn’t good at all, but she had a slight idea about where this was all coming from. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>When Sonya reached to try and lift
  <span>Newt’s shirt, however, his hands suddenly shot up from grasping his chest to stop her. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“No…” his voice was so weak, so quiet.
  <span>and breathy that she’d barely heard him. “No… </span>
  <em>
    <span>sto’! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tommy…!” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“I have to see,” Sonya soothed gently
  <span>as she moved to push his hands away. “I know it hurts, but I </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to see.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>But, Newt still fought back. It was
  <span>pathetic, to say the least, and, though he seemed incredibly weak, he still tried with everything he had. His arms flailed uselessly and unsuccessfully tried to push Sonya away. But, the only thing it succeeded in doing was slowing her down and lessening his own chances.  </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Finally, at last Sonya managed to pin his
  <span>arms down with her hands and elbow, then she used her one free hand to lift up his shirt. The chest wound was noticeably red and angry underneath the bandages and Sonya didn’t have to be a trained professional to know what she was looking at. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Though she was quickly filled with
  <span>dread, she forced past her negative emotions and turned to the guards surrounding her desperately. “I need to get him to a doctor, a hospital, </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything! </span>
  </em>
  <span>There’s an infection in his wound and he needs help </span>
  <em>
    <span>now!” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“How do we know it’s not just a varied
  <span>version of The Flare?” One guard asked. “You could be touching a Crank right now!” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>told </span>
  </em>
  <span>you!” Sonya shot back. “He’s </span>
  <span>been </span>
  <em>
    <span>cured </span>
  </em>
  <span>of The Flare! I saw it with my own eyes, I’ve been caring for him this entire time! I can give you details, everything you need to know, but if you shoot him now, you’ll lose the only step towards the Cure that you have! Are you really willing to </span>
  <em>
    <span>risk </span>
  </em>
  <span>it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every single guard exchanged a look,
  <span>then turned to the man in charge by Sonya. But, even he didn’t seem so sure. His brow was knit, he was frowning in deep thought as he stared at the two subjects in front of him. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Very well,” he finally said with a sigh.
  <span>“Someone call the Council and let them know we might have a potential cure. It’s time to get WCKD back on the case.” </span>
</span></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Thomas, Minho, Gally, And Brenda made
  <span>their way out of the Convenience store as quickly as they could after hitting the jackpot. All the stuff they carried in their packs and by hand slowed them down greatly, but it was honestly one of the best hauls Thomas had ever found in a place like this. He suspected as much that the supplies were from unfortunate survivors who’d made a fatal mistake… but, it’s not like they’d be needing the stuff anyways. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The other group was waiting for them
  <span>at the spot they’d agreed on, carrying only a few things. They seemed just as tired as well, though. Jorge was first to speak and come up to them. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Wow,” He said and clapped Thomas on
  <span>the shoulder as he passed. “I’m impressed, Hermano! We could barely manage to cough </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> up,” he gestured to the stacked pile set neatly beside Frypan. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span> “We got lucky,” Brenda snorted as she 
  <span>handed her pack off to Jorge. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Stupid</span>
  </em>
  <span> lucky.”  </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Where’d you even </span>
  <em>
    <span>go?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Harriet asked </span>
  <span>curiously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A Convenience store,” Minho answered.
  <span>“Found a pharmacy with </span>
  <em>
    <span>lots</span>
  </em>
  <span> of medicines….” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Oh… I bet Sonya’ll be happy to hear
  <span>you found a pharmacy,” Harriet smiled appreciatively. “Take it from me, she hasn’t enjoyed the limited supply.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas couldn’t help but agree, at
  <span>least with the feeling happy part. He, himself, hadn’t wanted to come along on this trip, but he was glad that he had. He felt proud for being partly responsible for finding medication… and also quite a bit relieved that it would surely help his friends greatly. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“How much was left?” Aris asked. “In
  <span>the pharmacy, I mean…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Lots,” Minho said and gave his pack and
  <span>emphasized shake. The pill bottles and medications inside rattled together like rain. “We found a storage closet that no one seemed to have noticed.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“How did y’all ever find a </span>
  <em>
    <span>store</span>
  </em>
  <span> with so </span>
  <span>much supplies?” Frypan continued in disbelief. “I get the medicine closet, but where’d you get the rest? Had it really somehow not been raided?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas winced in sympathy and
  <span>exchanged a look with Minho. He shrugged slightly. “There were some… </span>
  <em>
    <span>unlucky </span>
  </em>
  <span>survivors…” he explained. “They, Uh… didn’t need the stuff anymore…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” Frypan seemed to catch on fairly
  <span>quickly. “I feel bad for ‘em…” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Tragedy of the world we live in,
  <span>Shank,”  Minho told him absently as he passed, heading for Jorge. “Is there shade anywhere? We’re going to burn alive out here if the shuckin’ cranks don’t get us first.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Jorge looked up from where he’d been
  <span>speaking with Brenda, then frowned. “We should probably start heading back, Hermano, but maybe we could take a short break before we get there.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Good that,” Minho agreed and </span>
 hoisted his pack higher up his shoulders. “So, what are we waiting for?” 
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sun was high in the sky and it beat
  <span>down on them heavily as they walked. And, though they were provided shade by some broken buildings and wreckage, Thomas found himself just as hot and tired as he would’ve directly in the heat. The pack on his back didn’t help much either, it weighed heavier and heavier with each step he took. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>He was beyond grateful for the </span>
 break they’d been granted, even if the place they’d stayed in had broken windows and smelled like mothballs. He set his pack on the floor, took a seat inside the tiny area against the wall beside it. Minho slid down beside him with a sigh. 
</p><p><span>“This is </span><em><span>so </span></em><span>much fun…” the boy panted </span><span>as he fanned himself off with his hands. Sweat dripped down the side of his face. “Reminds me of </span><em><span>The</span></em> <em><span>Scorch.” </span></em></p><p>
  <span>Brenda rolled her eyes from where she
  <span>was leaning against the wall across from them. “You’re dramatic.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m serious!” Minho shot back. “It’s
  <span>so </span>
  <em>
    <span>hot!” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“If I remember correctly, you got
  <span>struck by </span>
  <em>
    <span>lightning</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the Scorch,” Brenda pointed out. “Tell me, was that better than heading </span>
  <em>
    <span>back </span>
  </em>
  <span>to The Berg and island paradise?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Minho fell back against the wall with a
  <span>grunt, but he didn’t say any more about the subject. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“How much farther is it?” Thomas
  <span>asked no one in particular. “Does anyone have a clue?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“We’re almost there,” Jorge said. “Just
  <span>a couple more blocks and through the tunnel and we’re out of here.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, as long as we don’t run into any
  <span>more </span>
  <em>
    <span>cranks,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Harriet sighed and cracked her knuckles. “It’s hard enough </span>
  <em>
    <span>walking</span>
  </em>
  <span> in this heat.” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“I vote for just running if we see any,”
  <span>Frypan suggested. </span>
</span></p><p>“I agree...” Harriet added. “I’ve seen enough of them for a whole lifetime... maybe—!” </p><p>
  <span>The rest of her sentence was suddenly
  <span>cut off by Jorge raising a palm and shushing them. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas frowned, but upon noticing
  <span>Jorge with only his head peeked out of the store, seemingly listening for something, he got worried. Both he and Minho rose from their places against the wall and headed over. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” Thomas asked quietly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jorge held his finger to his lips with
  <span>one hand, then pointed to the sky with the other. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>At first, Thomas didn’t see anything, he could hear nothing </span>
 expect for the wind. He was about to open his mouth and ask what Jorge was talking about, but he suddenly frozen. 
  <span>Ice cold fear and panic flooded into his</span>
  <span> veins at the sound of whirring coming from the sky. It was an all-too-familiar sound to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the group had come over to
  <span>listen silently as well and Thomas craned his neck to try and see the sky. It wasn’t as successful as he would’ve hoped, so he was forced to simply use his ears. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The whirring of the blades steadily
  <span>grew louder and, not for a single moment, did anyone speak. But, they all pulled back in shock, pressing together in comfort, when the unmistakable sight of a berg began making its way over top of the building they were in. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas was glad they’d taken a break
  <span>when they did, the bergs were coming from the direction they’d been heading. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Why are there two?” Aris suddenly
  <span>whispered in Thomas’s ear. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas turned back questioningly.
</span></p><p>
  <span>“There’s two bergs clearing </span>
  <em>
    <span>one </span>
  </em>
  <span>squaron,” the </span>
  <span>boy pointed out. “Why do they need—!” </span>
</p><p><span>“Holy Shit…!” Brenda was next to pipe </span>Her finger shot towards the sky, pointing towards the second machine in the sky. “That’s <em>our</em> Berg!” </p><p>
  <span>Thomas whipped back in shock towards
  <span>the sky, cold terror gripping him. He wasn’t sure how she could’ve known, but, judging from the way she suddenly yanked Jorge back when he tried to run out, she was onto something. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Then, suddenly, the dots connected in
  <span>his head. Aris was right, they wouldn’t need two jets unless somehow they’d gotten their hands on another. And, Brenda speculation could only mean… </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>His feet were bursting into a run
  <span>before he could stop himself, hands scraped at the back of his clothing, but to no avail. The Bergs were too far gone to see him anyways. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Thomas!” Someone called his name
  <span>frantically, but Thomas didn’t stop as he burst out into the street and began sprinting. He couldn’t stop. And, it wasn’t long before they seemed to realize why. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas ran at a blinding speed,
  <span>crashing whatever tried to block his path, too worried and frantic to care if they scratched him. His feet pounded down the street, kicking up a hearty wake of broken glass and dust behind him. He couldn’t let them take him. He had to be safe. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Minho had caught onto what he was
  <span>getting at in a snap and had since caught up to Thomas quickly. By now, he ran ahead of him, for once in a long time using the skills he’d picked up in the maze. He didn’t seem to tire, as if this sprint was nothing to him… or that he was also too worried to care. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas knew he felt very similarly. He
  <span>couldn’t live with himself if he lost him again.  </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Minho reached the landing site first,
  <span>the edge of the beach, but the second he made it to the cliff, he stopped dead in his tracks. Thomas was close behind him, but what he saw, or rather </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>see, when he reached the spot was enough to halt him as well. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The Berg was nowhere to be seen and,
  <span>more importantly, neither was Newt or Sonya. Only an empty beach with markings like the dust had been spread met their eyes. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“No…” Thomas whispered in disbelief. 
  <span>He was paralyzed in the spot he stood, even as Minho charged forwards down the hill. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“It was right </span>
  <em>
    <span>here!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Minho emphasized </span>
  <span>to the ground in front of him upon reaching the bottom. “This was the spot, wasn’t it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas could do nothing but stare in
  <span>silence at the empty patch of beach. He could barely find the energy to react when Harriet came stumbling up beside him. He’d failed. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Where did it go?” She demanded
  <span>sharply. “Where are they?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Minho suddenly let out a cry of </span>
 frustration into the direction the Berg’s had disappeared.  His foot kicked at the sand harshly and a dust cloud billowed around him.
</p><p>
  <span>“Sonya…?” Harriet’s voice was suddenly 
  <span>small and Thomas turned to look at her. Her eyes were watery and she was clearly trying desperately to keep it together, but failing. She didn’t finish her sentence. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas felt her pain more than he was
  <span>willing to admit. Losing Newt was somehow </span>
  <em>
    <span>worse… </span>
  </em>
  <span>like it wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>a </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend</span>
  </em>
  <span> that was gone. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>It was at this point that the rest of
  <span>the group finally caught up as well, rather loudly announcing their presence with their heavy panting. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“Dammit!” Jorge was first to say, not
  <span>even bothering for a second to ask what happened. “Those sons of bitches!” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Aris came up behind Harriet, his face
  <span>twisted in shock. But, he was still quick to comfort his friend as she placed her head silently in her hands. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Minho was just as upset off in the near 
  <span>distance, only louder and angrier. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Brenda reached up and placed her hand
  <span>on Thomas’ shoulder, but Thomas was quick to shrug her off. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>“They’re gone,” he announced and shook
  <span>his head in frustration, upset with no one but himself and their captors. “They’re both </span>
  <em>
    <span>gone!” </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>And, once again, he had failed to
  <span>protect them. And, he knew exactly who’s fault it was. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>WCKD. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Everything had seemed to crash into
  <span>Newt all at once when the berg landed. On the way there, sure, he’d been feeling a little tired and disoriented, no more than he usually felt these days. And, </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he’d felt freezing cold despite everyone else seemingly normal and </span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe </span>
  </em>
  <span>he was in a but more pain than he was willing to admit… but, he’d felt pretty </span>
  <em>
    <span>normal…</span>
  </em>
  <span> at least, his come-to-know version of normal. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>He’d been talking with Sonya, his
  <em>
    <span>sister, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and for a brief moment, he was happy. Tired and in pain, but happy Then, all of a sudden, everything turned to absolute chaos. He remembered being panicked and confused and slightly agitated when the intruders came, then there was the unmistakable feeling of pure and utter pain. He hadn’t been aware of just how weak and fatigued he was until he was forced to move and stand. His vision had wavered to black momentarily, his knees had buckled, and then he was on the floor. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt remembered barely being able to
  <span>breathe, barely being hear anything but the muffled sound of shouting voices as his own heartbeat drowned out everything else. His chest had burned like his own rib cage was twisting inside his body, crushing his lungs and other organs with no mercy. He felt weak and nauseous and, frankly, </span>
  <em>
    <span>terrified. </span>
  </em>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Terrified and confused to the point
  <span>that when hands reached down to him, he wasn’t sure if they were trying to help or hurt. He didn’t know who was over him. He could barely hear their voice, his eyes were too tightly squeezed shut to see their face, and their hands were painfully cold as they poked him. He just wanted his friend there, he wanted </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tommy. </span>
  </em>
  
</span></p><p>
  <span>Then he was being carried, rather
  <span>painfully and harshly, might he add. He was set on something cold and hard, then the same hands were touching him again. Only now, they didn’t prod as much. Instead, they brushed the hair gently back from his sweaty forehead and Newt swore he heard gentle talking as the sense of motion washed over him. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>His chest was on fire, he could barely
  <span>breathe, he couldn’t even find the strength to open his eyes. The soothing voice didn’t do much, neither did the jostling movements. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>After that, Newt must’ve passed out
  <span>because that was the last thing he remembered before now. Right now things were different. He was almost… </span>
  <em>
    <span>comfortable. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He was laying on something soft. Not a 
  <span>metal floor, not a stone floor, and not a cot, rather something slightly larger that kept him comfortable and warm. </span>
</span></span></p><p>
  <span>His pain levels had reduced greatly and
  <span>had been replaced with a slight tingling across his skin, so he wasn’t writhing in pure agony anymore. He was still sore, yes, but it was nowhere </span>
  <em>
    <span>near</span>
  </em>
  <span> how he remembered feeling earlier. His mouth tasted of cotton and, </span>
  <span>judging by how his head and hair felt pressed against a pillow, he was pretty sure he was wet. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt’s curiosity eventually got the
  <span>better of him and he finally peeled open his eyes. It felt like they’d been weighed down by three tons of sand and glued shut, but he managed. However, it did very little to ease his confusion. “Tommy…?” his voice felt like sandpaper scraping against his throat. “Sonya…?” </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Instead of staring up at the cloth
  <span>ceiling of the medical tent, or even the Berg, he found himself looking up at a smooth, white ceiling with lights so bright, it nearly burned his retinas. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>He moved in an effort to possibly
  <span>shield his eyes, but when he tried to pull his hand towards him, it snapped back quickly with a metallic clang. A surge of panic coursed through his veins as he turned his attention to his hand. He was horrified to discover that it was handcuffed to the bed rail. He worriedly pulled at it a few times as if it would do anything, but the handcuffs did not budge. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>On the same hand, something large and
  <span>white clipped to his middle finger. There was also a prominent needle in his forearm. Newt confusion and worry worsened and, though he had a slight idea at what was going on, he followed the cords and tubes attracted to them both with his gaze. At the end, he found a black screen with bright blue lettering next to a pole fitted with a bag of clear liquid. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>That wasn’t a good sign. If he was in
  <span>this white room, attached to some pretty fancy medical equipment, and handcuffed to a bed, it could only mean one thing. And, yet, he knew that he wasn’t the one to be worried about. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt swallowed, wincing slightly at how
  <span>much like sandpaper his throat felt like, then pressed his hands against the bed and forced his aching body into a sitting position. He was shirtless once again, clean white bandages were wrapped around his chest, directly over his wound and he was dressed in a pair of thin, but loose grey pants. He felt more exposed than he was willing to admit to himself, but he silently told himself to focus. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>So, even though his head and body
  <span>protested it dizzyingly, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and cast a look around the room. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The room in which he laid was small and
  <span>box-like with smooth, light-reflective tile that only added onto the fluorescent brightness of it. The wall to the right, the one across from the machines, was clear, so Newt could see out into what looked like a hallway with another room across from him.</span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>A brief thought crossed his mind at
  <span>the sight of it. That maybe if he was locked in here, Sonya possibly was, too. She’d been there with him, too. He knew that it was wishful thinking, but he was too desperate to not at least check. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>It would be difficult with the </span>
 handcuffs and equipment and weak body, but Newt was more worried about her than he was about himself at the moment. So, despite everything, he still had to make it to the wall. 
</p><p>
  <span>When he tried to stand for the first
  <span>time, his legs quickly turned to jelly and he nearly crumbled painfully to the floor. His bad leg was a lot worse and it ached more than usual. Even his good leg was weak and shaky, as if he hadn’t been walking for weeks. It’d only felt like this twice in his life. Once when he’d first broken it and a second time when he’d woken up from his 3-week-coma on the Safe Haven. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>After that, more and more questions
  <span>flooded Newt’s mind in response, but he forced them away and instead focused on Sonya. On his sister. That’s what was important. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>So, Newt maneuvered himself in a way
  <span>that would allow him to move at least to the window with the handcuffs on if he stretched. He couldn’t do much about his legs other than to concentrate and push through it. He knew they had the strength to do it, just because they were weak now didn’t mean he couldn’t walk at all. He knew it would all most likely be painful, but he didn’t care. He didn’t have the time to care.  </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt slowly pushed himself off of the
  <span>bed and onto unsteady feet. He nearly fell when he had to move all of his weight on his good right foot because his left hurt so bad, but he managed to steady himself on the bed rail. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>His legs were weak and he couldn’t stop
  <span>them from trembling, but he forced them to move forwards. Forced them to get used to his weight. He nearly face-planted after his first step, but the second he caught his balance, he kept going. His limp was a lot heavier than usual and it honestly felt more like a wobble, but Newt figured that he should just be happy he was still standing. The tile was freezing beneath his bare feet. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>The next step was still wobbly and off
  <span>putting, but slightly better.  The third still hurt, but he didn’t almost trip on his own feet. By the forth, he’d crossed the short distance to the see-through wall. He pressed his hand  against it to steady himself, his body shook and ached. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>He was twisted in a very odd manner to
  <span>say the least. The circulation in his left wrist was nearly cut off as he stretched his arm as far as it would go with the handcuffs. His right leg shook heavily as it was positioned directly underneath him, keeping him upright while his left just throbbed uselessly. His neck was craned to the side, head tilted to see down the hallway and, worst part was, nothing really met his eye. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>From what little he could see, there
  <span>was barely any signs of life besides the claw marks and blood splatters littered around. There were no people, no equipment, the beds in the rooms were made, and, more importantly, there was no Sonya. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Along the hallway, all the doors were
  <span>shut. And painted over them, Newt could clearly read the words CAUTION and QUARANTINE in bright, bold letters. He could also see that they also had some kind of blue, mechanic panel next to it. And, he could only assume from all of that, that the room he found himself in was not a room at all. In fact, it was really more of a </span>
  <em>
    <span>cell. </span>
  </em>
  <span>And, he was being held captive by the people he’d tried so hard to escape. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>Newt’s attention was suddenly drawn to
  <span>the door by the sound of a noise coming from it. When it opened, instinctively he stumbled back and the handcuffs and IV pulled taught. The next thing he knew, he was painfully on the floor. He scrambled to the nearest corner frantically and pressed himself against it in an attempt to get away from whoever was most likely here to hurt him. His hand shot up to his chest half out of habit and half out of pain and embarrassment. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Newt, hey, it’s okay, I’m not going to
  </span></em>
  <em>
    <span>hurt you…!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of high heels clicked against
  <span>the tile, echoing through the small empty room, as whoever had just come in made their way over to him. They stopped a few feet away near the foot of the bed and, when Newt finally forced his eyes to look at who it was, he felt his heart drop into his stomach. </span>
</span></p><p>
  <span>It was Teresa. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Thomas wasn’t exactly sure what the </span>
  <span>hell to do from there. He’d heavily debated just sprinting in the direction the berg had gone, fully ready to just follow it until they reached their destination, but even he knew that wouldn’t work. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was honestly almost amusing how </span>
  <span>quickly things had turned to shit. One minute they were proud of finding medical supplies, the next, they had no use for it, seeing as the one who needed it most… was </span>
  <em>
    <span>gone. </span>
  </em>
  <span>And, it’s not like they could just </span>
  <em>
    <span>bring the supplies home </span>
  </em>
  <span>without The Berg. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The happy group itself had laid in ruins </span>
  <span>as well, all feeling a similar, but varied mix of emotions at the situation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho had long since paced angry </span>
  <span>circles into the sand of the beach, Brenda was trying to calm down a very angry Jorge, Aris was trying to console Harriet, Frypan and Gally were dejectedly staring at nothing, and Thomas was just at a complete loss for what to do next.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s not like he wanted to leave his </span>
  <span>friends to WCKD. He wouldn’t do that to </span>
  <em>
    <span>any </span>
  </em>
  <span>of them, especially not Newt, who he’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>gotten back. But, nothing he came up with worked anyways. He’d nearly gotten his friends killed with almost every idea he’d ever had. But, what </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>they do? How would they travel? How would they figure out where to go? Thomas was the least equipped to answer these questions. He didn’t know how to help. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Between his fingers, Thomas rolled the </span>
  <span>cylinder necklace Newt had given him. One of the only things he had to remind him of his friend, though he wasn’t sure why he’d kept it on his person after all this time. Perhaps part of him had been afraid that something like this </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>bound to happen. WCKD was relentless. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then, what do you suggest we do, M</span>
  <span>ija?” Jorge as telling as he came closer to Thomas, Brenda trailing behind him. “We have nothing to travel with!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All I’m saying is we can’t swim back!” </span>
  <span>Brenda exclaimed. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> don’t know what we’re going to do!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everything we had is on that Berg!” </span>
  <span>Jorge shot back. “We’ve got nothing but a ton of medication that we’re not even going to use! Do you have a better idea?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas frowned over at them, unsure </span>
  <span>if he should try and interfere. But, the shouting seemed to have drawn everyone’s attention as well and he decided to try and talk to all of them while he had the chance.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you guys thinking?” Gally </span>
  <span>was first to speak as everyone grouped up around them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brenda shrugged genuinely. “I don’t </span>
  <span>know. He wants to find a boat, but I don’t know how we’re going to find it or if something will happen to us or it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She thinks it’s risky!” Jorge snapped. </span>
  <span>“But, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> don’t see any other options!” </span>
</p><p><span>“Wait, wait, wait,” Harriet suddenly cut in. </span>“And, what? Just leave without Sonya and Newt?” </p><p>
  <span>Jorge turned to her slowly. It was </span>
  <span>clear how hard he was trying to maintain his cool, but it didn’t seem to be going so well. “We have to get the supplies back to the island. That’s what we were </span>
  <em>
    <span>sent</span>
  </em>
  <span> for!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can’t just </span>
  <em>
    <span>leave </span>
  </em>
  <span>them!” Minho </span>
  <span>jumped in. “Do you have any idea what WCKD will do to them? ‘Cause </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>do! I don’t want that happening to them, especially not when Newt’s been cured, they </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill</span>
  </em>
  <span> him trying to get it!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have any idea how dangerous </span>
  <span>that will be?” Jorge said. “Do you remember what happened </span>
  <em>
    <span>last </span>
  </em>
  <span>time? You destroyed an </span>
  <em>
    <span>entire city!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, we accomplished what we’d come </span>
  <span>for…!” Thomas said. “Kind of…” He agreed with Minho, they couldn’t just leave Newt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you all are friends, Hermano. </span>
  <span>But, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my time surviving through this messed up world, it’s that having too many attachments is the riskiest thing you can do. You learn to care for them more than you care for yourself, and would do anything to protect them, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>that’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> what gets you killed. I hate to admit that I'm a victim of the circumstance, but I feel that makes me understand more…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas had to admit that he had </span>
  <span>somewhat of a point, but he was also not very keen about the idea of losing his friends again, no matter how dangerous or risky it was. He wouldn’t lose Newt again if he could help it. “We </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>to go, Jorge. After everything we’ve all been through together, we can’t just leave our friends behind without putting up much of a fight. No one’s asking you to go if you don’t want to, it’s not your battle.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Man…” Frypan cut in. “Just </span>
  <span>Imagine how you’d feel if someone took Brenda away…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No one argued with Thomas or Frypan’s </span>
  <span>logic and Jorge seemed to realize that they most likely wouldn’t. “You guys are the most protective, batshit crazy group of kids I’ve ever met in my entire life. I would say I admire it, but honestly, I’m just worried it’s going to get you all killed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you in, Jorge?” Brenda asked </span>
  <span>quietly and crossed her arms over her chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jorge looked out towards the ocean, </span>
  <span>then to the packs of supplies they’d piled near the cliff, and finally to Brenda. He still seemed unsure, but he finally sighed in defeat. “You’re all crazy,” he grumbled. “But, Fine. I’m in. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After the group sat down for a few </span>
  <span>minutes to plan something out, they ultimately decided that heading in the direction of the Berg was the best idea. At least the best they could come up with. It’s not like they had a lot to go off of anyways. They had no idea where any facilities were and, even if Thomas was the one who should’ve, he really didn’t. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t remember the places of all </span>
  <span>of them, even if it’d originally been him to give them to The Right Arm anyways. He had no way of knowing which ones were still active either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, with that, Thomas and Minho </span>
  <span>headed back into the city to try and find a bit more supplies since they were faster, while the rest looked for a vehicle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For Thomas, it was nice to not be </span>
  <span>running for his life through a seemingly inescapable maze. He didn’t exactly enjoy running </span>
  <em>
    <span>aimlessly</span>
  </em>
  <span>, per say, but Minho sure did. Thomas figured this is what he used to do in the maze anyways. Aimlessly run. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They finally came to a stop near what </span>
  <span>seemed to be an abandoned gas station. The metal roof over the pumps laid slanted and broken off to one side, but the rest of the place seemed somewhat intact, even if empty.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How much do you think we’ll find?” </span>
  <span>Minho asked quietly as they walked up to it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I dunno,” Thomas shrugged. “A couple </span>
  <span>of cranks at the most?” </span>
</p><p><span>Minho repeated the shrug in more of a </span><span>careless, ‘whatever’</span> <span>kind of way. “That’s fair,” He said as the two stepped inside. “Hello! Any cranks in here?” </span></p><p>
  <span>Thomas shot him an odd look, but </span>
  <span>Minho simply smiled in response. “Lighten up, Greenie. If there were any in here, they probably would’ve answered. They’re looking for food just as much as we are.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s… </span>
  <em>
    <span>kinda </span>
  </em>
  <span>gross…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho rolled his eyes. “Just start </span>
  <span>looking.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas didn’t argue. While Minho went </span>
  <span>to the left side of the store, he went to the right towards the cash register. He went behind the counter but really wasn’t expecting to find anything. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he opened the register, Thomas </span>
  <span>was honestly shocked to find a couple of crumpled up bills wedged in the back. He pulled them out curiously, two $20 bills. He wasn’t quite sure how they could possibly be useful nowadays, but he pocketed them anyways. Perhaps one day he’d find out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, the rest of the area behind </span>
  <span>the register was just empty trash, glass, mold, and bugs. And, a couple of red, gas cans. Probably just like the rest of the place. Though he’d been expecting it, Thomas didn’t find anything else in there besides the money. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Thomas!” Minho called to him </span>
  <span>from the back by the freezers. “Do you really think this stuff is fresh?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come look at this sign!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas sighed, not sure what he was </span>
  <span>expecting as he rounded the corner to where Minho stood. The boy was pointing down at a </span>
</p><p>
  <span>cardboard sign on the floor. MADE FRESH! It said ironically in bold letters. FRESH AND READY TO GO! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How much of this stuff you think is </span>
  <span>fresh?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas cast a look around and sighed </span>
  <span>at the empty trash and all the other nasty stuff collecting dust in here and decided. “All of it,” he finally answered dryly. “It won’t give us food poisoning </span>
  <em>
    <span>at all…” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kinda makes you wonder how old all </span>
  <span>this stuff really </span>
  <em>
    <span>is,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Minho murmured. “I’ll bet those expiration dates are a century off!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Food poisoning,” Thomas agreed. “So, </span>
  <span>did you find anything?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Half a box of Pop Tarts.” Minho said </span>
  <span>and held up a speckled, blue box with what looked like cardboard rectangles on it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pop Tarts?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cherry flavored apparently.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are </span>
  <em>
    <span>Pop Tarts?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dude, I have </span>
  <em>
    <span>no </span>
  </em>
  <span>idea.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything else?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho shook his head. “No. Like, I said;  </span>
  <span>I’ll bet those expiration dates are a century off. You?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas pointed over his shoulder back </span>
  <span>at the register. “I saw some gas cans behind the counter,” he said. “Should we see if there’s any gas?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t this stuff electric?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas shrugged. “It’s worth a try.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho still didn’t seem completely sure, </span>
  <span>but he still followed Thomas to the register for the gas cans. “What makes you think other people haven’t done this?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> idiots?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good that,” Minho said and gave </span>
  <span>another whatever shrug. “I saw some tools over there. So, let’s get some gas and try not to blow our faces off.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was honestly shocking that Thomas </span>
  <span>and Minho somehow managed not to get blown up. They’d practically mutilated the fuel pump to get the gas, but they’d gotten it nonetheless. Thomas had thought it would blow up a few times, he’d admit that much, but they even walked out of there with their faces still intact, the box of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Pop Tarts</span>
  </em>
  <span> still halfway full, and the tools in the bag. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time they made it back, the </span>
  <span>others were waiting for them expectantly outside of an SUV. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready to go?” Brenda called as she slid </span>
  <span>off the hood. “What’d you find?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas held up the large red can he </span>
  <span>was carrying to her. “Gas,” he said. “And, tools and Pop Tarts.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s a Pop Tart?” Frypan asked </span>
  <span>curiously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You found tools?” Jorge asked before </span>
  <span>Thomas could answer the first question. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and gas.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, well put it in the back and </span>
  <span>let's get going before we get stuck in Crank Town,” Jorge said as he pulled open the driver’s side door and jumped in. “Come on, we don’t have all day.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas nodded in agreement. He took </span>
  <span>the stuff Minho had been carrying, then headed over to the open back of the SUV. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inside, it seemed the others had put </span>
  <span>some stuff there, too. Probably even more useful stuff that he’d found. Though, he tried not to linger as he put their stuff in, then slammed the trunk shut. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas rounded on the passenger’s side </span>
  <span>of the car, then hopped in right as Jorge began trying to get it started. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Baby…” Jorge murmured to </span>
  <span>himself. “Show me what you’ve got.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The engine sputtered, again and again </span>
  <span>with each try, but Jorge didn’t quit. He sparked together the two wires under the dashboard over and over again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And, right as Thomas thought this was </span>
  <span>a lost cause, with a hearty sputter and shake, the engine roared to life. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve posted. I needed a bit of a break after listening to the new Maze Runner book, The Crank Palace... I thought I was ready to be hurt again, but oh boy was I wrong.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Newt’s eyes finally met the </span>
  <span>striking blue gaze of Teresa, he was speechless. So many emotions courses through him at just the simple sight of her face. So much anger, frustration, so much betrayal and hurt. He was confused, in disbelief, and questioning if she was really here or not. “You’re… You’re supposed to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Was All he could think of to say. </span>
</p><p><span>Teresa’s brow knit slightly in response </span>and her head dipped slightly. “So are you…” </p><p><span> “They… They said you </span><em><span>fell!” </span></em><span>Newt sputtered</span>. He clenched his jaw and cast a look to the medical equipment beside him, unsure if this was real or not. Out of anyone, he would’ve liked to see Teresa least. Was this Just a dream?</p><p>
  <span>“I did,” Teresa said. “And, they said </span>
  <span>you… </span>
  <em>
    <span>cranked out </span>
  </em>
  <span>and stabbed yourself in the chest… and, yet, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> here, too…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I…? Are we </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Newt </span>
  <span>demanded. “Is this heaven or something? I never thought I’d see </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>here!” </span>
</p><p><span>Teresa’s eyebrows shot up in surprise </span>at that comment and, for a moment, she simply stared at him. It took her a full count of at least ten before she finally shook her head and spoke. “We’re… We’re not dead… <em>yet</em>…” </p><p>
  <span>“Then how the shuck did </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> live?” </span>
</p><p><span>Teresa shrugged. She took a seat at </span>the foot of the bed, then set down the clipboard and pen she’d been holding. Next she brought her left leg into her lap, then knocked her fist against it. Something that definitely wasn’t a leg echoed back loudly. “Got lucky…” </p><p><em><span>“That </span></em><span>doesn’t </span><em><span>sound</span></em><span> lucky…” Newt </span>wasn’t sure why he cared. He wouldn’t have cared less if she ended up buried under a building. </p><p>
  <span>“I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>alive, </span>
  </em>
  <span>aren’t I?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With, </span>
  <em>
    <span>what, </span>
  </em>
  <span>a </span>
  <em>
    <span>metal</span>
  </em>
  <span> leg?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Carbon fiber, actually… and, yeah… </span>
  <span>The council found me, fixed me up, then brought me to another facility to recover. Of course, that didn’t take long, so from then, I’ve been continuing my work on the cure after everything was destroyed in The Last City. But, </span>
  <em>
    <span>thankfully, </span>
  </em>
  <span>not </span>
  <em>
    <span>all </span>
  </em>
  <span>of my work…” she gestured to Newt with a small smile. “As I have living proof of my success right here…” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“...me…?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tom gave you the cure, didn’t he? </span>
  <span>He </span>
  <em>
    <span>must’ve</span>
  </em>
  <span> because you’re still here looking almost completely recovered…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wasnt that… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thomas… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Not you...?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who do you think </span>
  <em>
    <span>made </span>
  </em>
  <span>that cure?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt was silent. Deep down, he felt </span>
  <span>like he should thank her. But, then he suddenly remembered everything else she’d done to him and his friends and decided against it. “Where am I?” </span>
</p><p><span>“Recovery,” Teresa answered. “A team </span>found your berg parked and decided to investigate. They found you and another girl inside, then figured out the girl was immune, but you weren’t… judging by how you were apparently writhing on the floor. You were suffering from a pretty bad infection, but shockingly no Flare. They brought you here to get fixed up. You're lucky that girl stepped in, otherwise we wouldn’t have known there was a chance.” </p><p>
  <span>“Where is she?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where is who?” </span>
</p><p><span>“Liz-</span><em><span>Sonya!” </span></em><span>Newt exclaimed. “The girl </span>I was with!” </p><p><span>“B5 is with the rest of the subjects in </span>experiment—!” </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t cooperate with you until I know </span>
  <span>she’s safe!” Newt snapped. He whipped his head back towards her, eyes burning. “You won’t get a bloody </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing </span>
  </em>
  <span>out of me…!” </span>
</p><p><span>Teresa met his gaze sheepishly. She </span>blinked a few times, then finally swallowed and reached behind her. She pulled out a walkie talkie from her pocket, then held Newt’s eye as she spoke into it. “I’m going to need someone to bring Subject B5 from Holding down to Recovery immediately. Repeat, Subject B5 from Holding to Recovery. Over.” Then, she set the device back down. “Happy?” </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll see…” </span>
</p><p><span>“So, how are </span><em><span>you</span></em><span> feeling, Newt?” </span>Teresa said placidly as she picked up her clipboard and pen from the bed. “Any pain? Nausea? Headaches?” </p><p><span>Newt pulled his legs closer to his chest. </span>Silently he answered yes to pain and headaches, but he didn’t say it out loud. “There's a headache sitting a few feet away from me.” </p><p><span>Teresa lowered the clipboard slightly </span>to give him a deadpanned look. “Please be serious.” </p><p>
  <span>“Why are you here?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because this is my job,” Teresa said, </span>
  <span>her tone was slowly becoming more and more frustrated. “I’m doing my </span>
  <em>
    <span>job, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Newt.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you even bloody care?” </span>
</p><p><span>Teresa sighed. “You’re the hope for the </span>future, okay? If I can prove that you’re cured of the Flare, and somehow manufacture a cure, it will mean humanity can be saved. It will mean that people will stop suffering.” </p><p><span>Newt scoffed. “Don’t you have </span><em><span>other</span></em><span> people to </span>pester? Like all the subjects you’ve kept under lock and key their whole lives? The lab rats?” </p><p>
  <span>“You said you’d cooperate.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>see</span>
  </em>
  <span> Sonya.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span> Finally, Teresa slammed her clipboard </span>
  <span>on her lap in frustration, her eyes were desperate as she met Newt’s gaze. “I know you left the world to fall, but there are still people who are fighting to live. There are still people who don’t want to get sick. And, with <em>you</em> here, I’m about 10 steps closer to curing the world of this disease. If I had the primary subject, I’d be a lot closer to that goal, but I'm sorry I just have to use </span>
  <em>
    <span>you…” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><em><span>“Use </span></em><span>me?” Newt shot back. “What? Are </span><span>you going to </span><em><span>throw me out</span></em><span> when you’re done? Am I just </span><em><span>bait</span></em><span> to you? Just here to lure in </span><em><span>Thomas</span></em><span> so we can </span><em><span>both</span></em><span> be your bloody science projects? Or, am I just a </span><em><span>bloody</span></em> <em><span>crank?! </span></em><span>Not even </span><em><span>alive </span></em><span>anymore to you?!</span><em><span>”</span></em></p><p>
  <span>Teresa pulled back in shock.</span>
</p><p><span>Newt hadn’t realized how frustrated </span>he’d gotten until he heard his voice echo in the room. Tears welled angrily in his eyes and his nails dug into the skin of his palm. His pulse thundered in his ears. </p><p><span>Teresa’s eyes flickered briefly to the </span>monitors, then back to him on the floor.  “Newt…” </p><p><span>Newt’s mouth snapped shut and he fell </span>back against the wall. He sniffed and wiped his arm over his eyes, then shook his head. “I’m sorry...” he muttered. “Didn’t mean to shout…” </p><p>
  <span>“You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>agitated…” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt took a deep breath and met </span>
  <span>Teresa’s gaze. She stared back at him, a mixture of nervousness and shock in her eyes. He knew what she was getting at, but he didn’t need to prove himself to her. “And, I think you’d bloody be as well if you’d gone through </span>
  <em>
    <span>half </span>
  </em>
  <span>the things I have. You grew up pampered, Teresa. I grew up in a bloody </span>
  <em>
    <span>maze, </span>
  </em>
  <span>not knowing if every day would be my last. Most of the time I didn’t even care. I just wanted <em>out.” </em></span>
</p><p><span>“I’m… I'm sorry that happened to </span>you…” </p><p><span>“Are you?” He hadn’t meant so sound so sad and </span>defeated. </p><p><span>“But, listen... if we figure this out, it all </span>will have been worth it. All those years struggling, all the pain and heartache; if we find a cure, it won’t have been for nothing.” </p><p>
  <span>“And, how about all the people that </span>
  <span>died, hm? Alby, Chuck, Winston, Nick…? </span>
  <em>
    <span>All</span>
  </em>
  <span> of them are dead. And, I had to watch </span>
  <em>
    <span>every single one. </span>
  </em>
  <span>For every </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> person that survived, there’s been about </span>
  <em>
    <span>thirty</span>
  </em>
  <span> that died.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They won’t have died in vain.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They were </span>
  <em>
    <span>kids, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Teresa,” Newt shot </span>
  <span>back. “They were bloody kids who had no say in any of this. Every single Maze subject you’ve ever had has been a </span>
  <em>
    <span>child</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and they’ve been pawns in your games since day </span>
  <em>
    <span>1!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>“I didn’t like watching it either, you </span>know. I had to sit through that and watch my friends die, too. Just like Thomas. The only difference between us is that I’m actively trying to make a change. I’m trying to make this right, I’m trying to fix the world.” </p><p>
  <span>Newt shook his head, almost willing to laugh at her statement. He was sad and angry at the same time, but also too numb and defeated to really feel anything. “The world has always been broken, </span>
  <span>Teresa, even you can’t change that. You can find all the cures you want, but it will </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> be the same.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, I can make it </span>
  <em>
    <span>better…” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>Newt heard this time when what he </span>assumed was the doors to the end of the hallway slide open. He was beyond thankful to be done arguing with Teresa. He began shakily pushing himself back up onto weak legs with the help of the wall as the sound of footsteps approached. And then, suddenly, he saw her. </p><p>
  <span>“Sonya!” He called worriedly. </span>
</p><p><span>Sonya walked into frame, gagged and </span>bound like some kind of <em>prisoner.</em> She looked tired and pale, her eyes were hollow and exhausted. The guy guiding her along didn’t look friendly either. Her eyes widened when they locked onto him and she moved to try and run towards him, but her captor stopped her. </p><p><span>“Now that you see that she’s safe, are </span>you willing to cooperate?” Teresa said. </p><p>
  <span>“She doesn’t look very </span>
  <em>
    <span>safe</span>
  </em>
  <span> to me.” </span>
</p><p><span>Teresa frowned and cast a look to the </span>girl in question. “That’s precautionary.” </p><p>
  <span>“I want to talk to her.” </span>
</p><p><span>Teresa sighed, but she put up no fight. </span>She nodded to the captor guy and the guy pulled the gag from Sonya’s mouth. </p><p><span>“Are you okay?” Sonya demanded the </span>second she could speak. “Are you hurt? What’d they do to you?” </p><p><span>“Don’t worry about me,” Newt said. He </span>pressed himself as close to the glass as he could. “What are they doing to you? Are you okay? What happened?” </p><p>
  <span>“They came onto the Berg a little after </span>
  <span>the others left and got the drop on us pretty quick. You just suddenly collapsed when we went outside! They nearly </span>
  <em>
    <span>shot </span>
  </em>
  <span>you, I had to convince them that you were cured so they’d take you here! Did they <em>hurt</em> you?” </span>
</p><p><span>“I feel alright,” Newt said dismissively. </span>“I’m okay, seriously. What about you? What are they doing?” </p><p><span>Sonya cast a sheepish on to her captor, </span>then to Teresa and shook her head. “D-Don’t worry about me. I’m… I’m fine, I can handle it.” </p><p>
  <span>“Sonya.” Newt pressed his hand against </span>
  <span>the glass. He met her gaze, begging for her to tell him the truth.</span>
  <em>
    <span> “What are they doing to you?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, Sonya’s gaze dropped. “They’re </span>
  <span>looking for the cure,” she grumbled. “What do you </span>
  <em>
    <span>think?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>Another wave of hatred suddenly </span>surged through Newt’s veins at Teresa. His jaw clenched and his fist curled on the glass. “Let her go, Teresa.” </p><p>
  <span>“Wha— Newt—!” </span>
</p><p><span>Newt wheeled around towards the girl </span><span>still sitting idly on the bed so quickly he nearly lost his balance. “I said: </span><em><span>let her go. </span></em><span>If you want </span><em><span>anything </span></em><span>from me, any</span> <span>cooperation, any testing, </span><em><span>anything, </span></em><span>you will let her go free </span><em><span>alive.”</span></em></p><p>
  <span>“I can’t let her go, we need her—!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need </span>
  <em>
    <span>me </span>
  </em>
  <span>more, don’t you?” Newt </span>
  <span>snapped. “You have </span>
  <em>
    <span>plenty </span>
  </em>
  <span>of her, but only </span>
  <em>
    <span>one </span>
  </em>
  <span>of me. And, if I am even aware of the fact that she is not safe, I will make your job 10 times more difficult, and you won’t get </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything </span>
  </em>
  <span>out of me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Teresa frowned and crossed her arm </span>
</p><p>
  <span>protectively over herself. <br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, the only sound in the room was the rapid beeping of the monitor and Newt’s heavy breathing. He was so beyond angry at her. Words could even describe the hatred he felt towards Teresa. After <em>everything</em> she’d done to him...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Teresa seemed to exchange a look with Sonya’s captor, then sighed. “I’ll see what I can do…” she said quietly. “I don’t think I have the authority to release her, but I can try to ease things. But, I need something from you as well…” </span>
</p><p><span>Newt was silent, unsure if he should </span>agree or not. He wasn’t sure what she wanted from him. </p><p>
  <span>“Just like you said, I need cooperation. </span>
  <span>I need you to let me do my job, okay? Because even if I somehow manage to persuade the council, it won’t mean anything if I don’t get anything out of </span>
  <em>
    <span>you, </span>
  </em>
  <span>do you understand?” </span>
</p><p><span>Newt swallowed and crossed his arms </span>defensively. “And, what will you do with her?”</p><p><span>“I can have her taken back to her cell </span>while a decision is made,” Teresa said. “She’ll be unharmed. That’s the best I can do at the moment.” </p><p>
  <span>“Then will you let her go?” </span>
</p><p><span>Teresa sighed again. “I don’t think I </span>have the power nor the persuasive abilities for that,” she said regretfully. “But, I promise she won’t be hurt if you agree to cooperate...” </p><p>
  <span>Newt wasn’t sure whether or not he </span>
  <span>should’ve trusted her. The deal she made sounded promising, but it’s not like she hadn’t lied to him before. She seemed genuine, but he wasn’t sure if he could trust her after all she’d done. If he said no, however, Sonya would most certainly go back to experimentation. If he said yes, though, there was a chance she </span>
  <em>
    <span>would </span>
  </em>
  <span>be unharmed. A small one, yes, but it was all he could bargain for. He just had to hope that he really </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>that important for the ‘council’ to accept his terms and conditions. </span>
</p><p><span>“Fine,” he finally said coldly. “But, </span>everything stops if she’s not safe.” </p><p><span>“Very well…” Teresa nodded to Sonya’s </span>captor and, with that, the girl was led back out of the room. </p><p><span>Newt watched as she left and, as soon </span>as she was gone, he turned back to Teresa. “And, another thing?” </p><p><span>The girl raised her head questioningly. </span>“I want a shirt.” </p><p><span>“Newt, I’ve literally seen inside your </span>body—!” </p><p>
  <span>But, at a pointed look from him, she </span>
  <span>raised her hands in surrender briefly, then jotted something down on her board. “Okay, okay— Sonya and shirt it is… Now, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span> have a seat…” </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>Thomas had been sitting in a car with </span>his friends for what had seemed like forever. </p><p><span>They’d driven for miles and miles down </span>a dusty road that never seemed to end in almost complete silence. They’d talked for about 10 minutes when they’d first started driving, but now all seemed beyond such things. </p><p>
  <span>Thomas had long since occupied himself </span>
  <span>with a window, just thinking and watching the desert landscape go by. He wasn’t exactly enjoying his time, what with Harriet’s feet so close to his face on top of the seats, or Frypan drooling on his shoulder, but he tried not to think about that. Of course, there really wasn’t much else to think about, but Thomas made due. He was almost at peace during the ride. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Almost. </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>He couldn’t stop thinking about how </span>he’d failed. How he’d let this happen. He’d let Newt Come on this trip, he hadn’t tried hard enough to stop him. He’d put all of his effort into protecting his friends after nearly losing him, but it hadn’t been enough. Newt was gone and it was like a piece of Thomas was missing. </p><p><span>Only about 15 minutes into driving </span>through a high up mountain pass did the truck suddenly just stop. That was what broke Thomas from his daze and he sat up, knocking an annoyed Frypan’s face from his shoulder. “What’s going on?” He called to the two up front. “Why are we stopped?” </p><p><span>“Relax,” Jorge called back to him as he </span>opened the door. “She just needs some gas. Get out and stretch your legs or something. It’s not as hot outside.” </p><p>
  <span>Thomas wasn’t exactly fond of </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>idea either, but he opened the door. However, Jorge had a point. It </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> as hot outside right now, thank god, as the sun had finally set over the mountains just enough to not be visible. So, he slid out of the SUV and onto achy, tired and unsteady legs, Frypan wasn’t far behind him. </span>
</p><p><span>“This is nice,” Frypan said as he </span>stretched. “Not as nice as the Island, but nice.” </p><p><span>Thomas agreed silently. He raised his </span>arm over his head briefly, then turned and headed back the way they’d come. It felt nice to just walk and stretch his legs like that. Gally of all people seemed to have similar ideas. </p><p><span>“So… Greenie, did you have a Pop Tart?” </span>The boy asked conversationally. </p><p><span>Thomas glanced over at him skeptically. </span>He’d come to trust Gally more in the time he’d been back, but there was still the slightest hint of hesitance. “Um, no,” Thomas replied curtly. Upon realizing he’d sounded just a bit too stoic, he continued. “Are they any good?” </p><p><span>Gally shrugged, then nodded. “They’re </span>not terrible, but I guess I’ll say they’re not very filling either.” </p><p><span>“At least they weren’t a </span><em><span>complete</span></em>waste of time.” </p><p><span>“Good that,” Gally sucked in a deep </span>breath, then stretched out his leg as far as it could go. “Feels like a lifetime we’ve been in the car… it’s pretty cramped in the very back.” </p><p><span>“We’ve… got a big group.” Thomas said, </span>he kept his gaze on the landscape in front of them. “There’s lots of people to cram in there…” </p><p>
  <span>“My legs are </span>
  <em>
    <span>killing </span>
  </em>
  <span>me.” </span>
</p><p><span>“It’s only gonna get longer,” Thomas </span>replied. </p><p><span>“Well… Maybe we’ll come across </span>something soon,” Gally assured him briefly. “It’s not like two whole airships could disappear into thin air.” </p><p>
  <span>“They </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>pretty fast,” Thomas pointed </span>
  <span>out. “We made it across an ocean in just a few hours with one.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… I really hope we do find it,” G</span>
  <span>ally said. “For all of our sakes, really. The boat ride was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot </span>
  </em>
  <span>longer than the berg. Felt weird leaving dry land for that long…” </span>
</p><p><span>Thomas looked over at him and </span>shrugged. “I wouldn’t know…” </p><p>
  <span>Gally looked as if he wanted to say </span>
  <span>more, but he suddenly froze with a frown. He turned to head slightly to his right. “Uh… What’s that noise…?”</span>
</p><p><span>Thomas frowned and turned to fully </span>face the boy. “What?” </p><p><span>But, Gally’s eyes were glued </span>elsewhere, to the side of the mountain they were next to. When Thomas looked up to see what he was looking at, his heart sank. </p><p><span>“Get back to the car!” He called to no </span>one in particular. “Everyone back to the car! Jorge, get it started!” </p><p><span>The top familiar sound of a crank </span>screech assaulted his ears, closely followed by a thud and the scraping of rock and sand. </p><p><span>“Let’s go!” Thomas waved Gally </span>forwards briefly, then turned back to the SUV at the top of the hill. He ran as fast as he could back towards it, Harriet and Aris were already climbing back in, Frypan and Minho weren't far behind. </p><p><span>A crank literally flew right in front of </span>them, nearly missing Thomas by mere inches. It moved too fast, however, and stumbled right over the edge of the cliff. Thomas’ stomach dropped even lower when he didn’t even hear it land. </p><p><span>The engine to the car began stalling as </span>Thomas and Gally reached it, but it didn’t start. Hands began slapping at the metal as Thomas threw his door open and jumped inside. He slammed the door right as a black smeared hand thudded against the window, a growl wasn’t far behind. Thomas pulled away from it in shock and was quick to lock the door as well. “Jorge—!” </p><p><span>“I’m </span><em><span>trying!” </span></em><span>Jorge shot back </span>desperately. The engine sputtered again. “She’s not starting!” </p><p><span>Another hand slammed against the </span>window, then on the metal of the car with such violence, the car rocked. In the back seat, Harriet pressed her hand over the window to steady herself. </p><p><span>“Where’d the hell did they all come </span>from!” The girl demanded with a cautious and panicked look to the window. The car lurched again, this time towards the passenger side and Harriet yelped in surprise.  </p><p><span>Thomas pressed himself close to </span>Frypan and the seat as the car began sliding and tipping towards the cliff. “Jorge!” He demanded, the window was starting to teeter dangerously over the edge, he watched in horror as the cranks that’d been on his window plummeted. “Anytime now!” </p><p><span>“Holy </span><em><span>Shit…!” </span></em><span>Brenda cursed and pulled </span>away from her window. “Jorge—!” </p><p><span>“Stop rushing me!” The engine </span>sputtered again and again, the wires blitzed together to no avail. Jorge was unhelpfully adding lots of colorful curses over and under his breath. </p><p>
  <span>Everyone on the back seats were </span>
  <span>squished in the middle, some away from the cliff, and others away from the hands pushing them there. It did little to help, but Thomas figured if he died, at least he might have </span>
  <em>
    <span>some </span>
  </em>
  <span>comfort. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, please…!” Thomas heard </span>
  <span>Frypan mumble to himself. “I swear to God, Man, this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>crazy! </span>
  </em>
  <span>I ain’t going out like this!” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bzzt— bzzt—bzzt! </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>With a giant zap, it seemed Frypan’s </span>quiet plea had worked because suddenly the engine roared to life. </p><p><span>Thomas squeezed his eyes shut tightly </span>when it seemed like they were too far gone, but he was suddenly thrown forwards when Jorge slammed his foot on the gas at the same time that someone’s window broke. The tires squealed in protest as they moved forwards and the car bounced up and down with heavy thuds as things were most likely run over. Dust billowed inside and outside of the car. </p><p><span>Brenda and Harriet screamed, but </span>Thomas grit his teeth in pure and silent fear as he watched the edges of the tires of their side literally go over the edge. Tiny rocks spilled over the cliff and more cranks were thrown down before Jorge finally swerved the car to the left. </p><p><span>Thomas suddenly found himself </span>slamming into Frypan’s shoulder, then the car veered right and suddenly everyone was painfully on top of him. </p><p>
  <span>“Come on…!” Jorge mumbled. </span>
</p><p><span>“Oh my god!” Someone in the far back </span>screamed. </p><p><span>The entire car was surrounded in </span>billows layers of dust. They were so thick that Thomas couldn’t even see out the windows. More worryingly, he couldn’t see out the front windshield either. </p><p><span>“Jorge, how do you know where you’re </span>going?” He demanded in a panic. </p><p><span>Jorge swerved again when a silhouette </span>appeared in the dust and Thomas was thrown back to the left. “I don’t!” </p><p><span>The car must’ve clipped whatever had </span>been in their path, because there was suddenly a loud thud, then something slammed against the windshield with a crack. </p><p><span>Brenda yelped this time and pulled </span>herself closer to the center of the car. Her hands were planted on the door and center council to try and steady herself. </p><p><span>The dust finally cleared enough at just </span>the right time for Thomas to see the empty air in front of the car. He cursed to himself in the brief heartbeat that the tires left the path and they were airborne when they flew off the edge of the cliff. This time, he threw his dignity to the wind and screamed as the car dipped and began falling. However, he wasn’t alone. </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>HOLY SHIT!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“WHAT THE HELL!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“AHH!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>Everyone was tossed to the ceiling as </span>the car finally landed, but were quickly thrown back into their seats when it shot down what was most likely a slope. </p><p><span>Thomas could barely see a thing expect </span>for the blue of the sky, though he was pretty sure that’s because he was blinded with terror. His throat was raw from screaming and his hand had been grabbing the handle above the door so tightly, it broke off. His ears were ringing with the screaming of every single person in the car. </p><p><span>They were all tossed about in every </span>single direction. Thomas’ head flew into the ceiling, then the window, the seat in front of him, and Frypan’s shoulder at what felt like the same time. He was even pretty sure he’d seen his legs in front of his face as he was thrown around like a rag doll. Possibly even someone’s shoe and someone else’s pack at one point. He felt like he was on the back of a griever or something, or even a death roller coaster. </p><p><span>But, finally, the car slammed into </span>something with a crash and Thomas was thrown forwards. Then, his vision went dark just like that. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>Newt wasn’t sure what he’d been given. </span>He remembered Teresa giving him a check-up after he’d seen Sonya, then she must’ve drugged him, because that was the last thing remembered clearly. </p><p><span>For the longest while, Newt found </span>himself drifting in and out of consciousness and life itself came in flashes. </p><p>
  <span>Teresa was there a lot, oddly enough, </span>
  <span>though he wasn’t quite sure of the intent of her actions. More often than not, it really did seem like she </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>just checking on him. Whether it be shining a light in his eyes, taking his pulse, or pressing a blindingly cold stethoscope on his chest, she was there. He wondered what else she did when he wasn’t awake enough to remember. He didn’t know if he wanted to know. and, she only seemed to be completing the tests Newt felt was too personal as well. </span>
</p><p><span>There were other doctors there, too. </span>All dressed similarly, but different at the same time. They all dressed in professional clothing with all different colors and styles of clothing with a lab coat over it. In the bursts that he was awake, Newt didn’t exactly prefer them, per say. They all seemed so calculated and job driven, just out to get a task done quickly, then to leave him to his own devices. </p><p>
  <span>He hated the fact that he preferred </span>
  <span>Teresa over them, but he supposed that it was perhaps just because Teresa felt bad. She should’ve after all she’d put him through alone... and, all she’d put everyone </span>
  <em>
    <span>else</span>
  </em>
  <span> through as well. </span>
</p><p><span>It took ages for the drug to actually </span>pull him under, it was ages before Newt was granted the satisfaction of simply darkness with no interruptions. But, then, suddenly, it all came to a stop. </p><p><span>The first thing Newt was aware of was </span>running, which, in itself, was odd considering that he hadn’t been able to do that for quite a long time. When the darkness faded from the edges of his vision, Newt found himself in a place he’d long since dreaded. The metal walls stretched well above his head and the vines nearly brushed up to the top: it was the maze. And, he was running through it. </p><p><span>At first, Newt simply thought that this </span>was a dream, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t really control himself. Every time he’d try to move even just a finger, a fuzzy statically feeling would buzz through his body. He wasn’t sure if the finger moved or not, however, because his head wouldn’t even obey his own commands to look down.  </p><p><span>Finally, after a while, Newt took a seat </span>against the wall of the maze and, for a moment, simply stared at the wall in front of him. </p><p><span>All of a sudden, Newt remembered the </span>day. His last day as a runner. His stomach churned uncomfortably in fear at the thought of it. Would he really do it? Would he really have to watch again? </p><p>
  <span>He was saved having to question any </span>
  <span>longer because his vision suddenly flashed to black briefly and, when it cleared, Newt found himself staring down at the ground. Every instinct in his body told him to stop, Newt told </span>
  <em>
    <span>himself </span>
  </em>
  <span>to stop because he knew what was coming next. </span>
</p><p><span>He buried his face on the leaves </span>briefly, more in fear if anything, but it didn’t last long before his eye suddenly caught a glimpse in the sunlight. His head turned, despite Newt knowing exactly what it was. </p><p><span>“Come to see the show, yeah…?” His </span>own voice reached his ears, but Newt didn’t remember trying to speak.  Then, all of a sudden, his body relaxed and the nerves faded to nothing. “Well, I hope you’re bloody entertained.” </p><p><span>Then, suddenly, Newt was falling. His </span>vision had gone black once again, but he knew the feeling all the same. And, he also knew exactly was coming next. </p><p><span>The feeling of something long suddenly </span>twisted around his leg, then Newt’s fall was abruptly broken with the sound of a sickening snap. A jolt of fire suddenly coursed through his veins, more painfully that he’d ever felt it before, and Newt shouted in pain. There was another snap as the vine seemingly broke, then he was fell again. </p><p><span>The pain was unlike anything Newt had<br/></span>ever felt before, he didn’t remember anything hurting this much, even when he’d flung himself from that wall for the first time. It was like his senses had been turned up times ten. His brow was wet with sweat, his pulse thundered in his ears, his breath was ragged, and he barely even felt it as he hit the ground. The only indicator of that was the crushing pain that crescendoed down on him when he slammed against it. </p><p><span>His vision had long since gone dark, but </span>Newt heard and felt everything. The pain was so bad, he could barely breathe. His chest felt like it was being crushed. </p><p><span>“Newt, where are you?” The familiär </span>sounded a million miles away, Newt barely found the energy to care over the agony. Footsteps came closer nonetheless, then someone slid down beside him with a soft gasp. “Newt! Newt?” </p><p><span>There was suddenly pressure </span>on Newt’s chest, pushing down his already bruised rib cage further down. Hair tickled his nostrils from above, but Newt’s eyes didn’t open. </p><p>
  <span>“Newt!” Minho tried again. </span>
</p><p><span>Someone’s rough hand began </span>persistently tapping on Newt cheek. Though it was painful, it was tragically not rousing enough.  </p><p>
  <span>“Minho! What the shuck happened?” </span>
</p><p><span>There was another voice, a voice Newt </span>hadn’t heard in a very long time. A wave of sadness washed over him when he recognized it. </p><p>
  <span>“Alby! You shouldn’t be in here!” </span>
</p><p><span>“Nick can throw me in the slammer for </span>all I care,” Alby shot back, voice just as determined as always. “Newt’s my friend, I couldn’t just leave him. Is he okay? What happened?” </p><p><span>“I don’t… I don’t know!” Minho shot </span>back in alarm. </p><p><span>More hands came to rest on Newt’s </span>shoulders, then his throat, and finally his cheeks. They were larger and quite a bit more rough than Minho’s had been, but even the touch was familiar. </p><p>
  <span>“Newt, you Slinthead, wake up! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wake </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>up!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>I can’t! Newt told him silently. The </span>tearing of fabric suddenly met his ears, then the pain in his head flared up greater than the rest of his body as something was painfully pressed against it. </p><p><span>At this, Newt had apparently reached </span>the point of tolerance with the pain because he suddenly gasped, his bleary eyes flying open. He couldn’t see much above him other than blurry silhouettes as he tried to pull away from the pain, groaning. </p><p><span>“Gotta slow the bleeding, Newt,” Minho </span>said to him and kept the fabric pressed there unyieldingly. “Just hold on…” </p><p><span>“We gotta get him back,” Alby piped up </span>from further down Newt’s body.  “A bleeding head wound and shucked leg’ll be nothing against a griever if we get stuck out here. The Med-Jacks can tend to the wounds back at the Glade, they can’t tend to <em>death!” </em></p><p><span>“Alright, Newt,” Minho said down to him </span>without much of a thought. The fabric was pulled away from Newt’s temple. “Bear with us, okay?” </p><p><span>The sounds of movements scraped </span>along Newt’s ears as the two stood up. Then, all of a sudden, there were hands wrapping under his armpits and he knew what was coming next. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly as he was lifted up and the pain exploded in his leg, drawing all of his attention back to it. Newt sucked in a ragged gasp in response, his back arched sharply and uncontrollably. </p><p><em><span>“Lea’ me…! Leav’ me…! Please…!” </span></em><span>His </span>voice begged. Internally, Newt told them to do just the opposite. He didn’t want to be in this bloody maze any longer. </p><p>
  <span>“What’d he say?” Alby asked. </span>
</p><p><span>Minho didn’t reply to him. “We’re </span>getting outta here, Newt. We won’t leave you here. Just hold on, okay?” </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Please…!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>They lifted his body up the rest of the </span>way, but Newt’s energy felt depleted. He could barely move through the pain and his body felt completely limp. He began falling again, but then hands caught him and hoisted him back up. </p><p>
  <span>“C’mon… Shank!” Alby‘s voice sounded a </span>
  <span>million miles away. “...want… die, too…? Want… try… kill </span>
  <em>
    <span>us, </span>
  </em>
  <span>too…? ‘f… don’t cooperate…! Gotta… outta here!” </span>
</p><p><span>Newt felt like his brain was on a </span>buffer, he was having a hard time deciphering what was being said to him or what was happening. The pain had gotten so bad in his body that he was beginning to feel numb. Despite the fact that he couldn’t breathe and his body felt cold, he felt almost… light… dizzy. Like his cares of the world had just fluttered away. </p><p><span>He didn’t think he was with Minho and A</span>lby anymore. He wasn’t sure where they’d gone, but they were no longer beside him. He couldn’t feel their touch, couldn’t hear their voices. The only thing he could see was the bright, white, and empty air around him. He was alone. </p><p>
  <span>But then, slowly and steadily, the pain </span>
  <span>began flooding back through him, almost as if someone had tied a string to him and had begun dragging him back through his experience. His pain grew worse again until it had crescendoed to the point of breaking, then suddenly, it vanished, leaving Newt with nothing but a sense of shock. Even if his chest still felt tight and he still couldn’t breathe properly, he hardly believed it mattered. What did </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> matter? </span>
</p><p><span>All of a sudden, there was a flash of </span>light and reality slammed back into Newt. He found himself moving before his vision had fully cleared, hands instinctively shooting up to his face to mess with whatever was strapped there. </p><p><span>“No, no, no!” Hands latched onto his </span>and, no matter how hard he fought, they didn’t let go. “Leave that there, you need it!” </p><p><span>After that, all of Newt’s newfound </span>strength drained out of him, leaving his arms like aching wet noodles. They fell limp and whoever had been holding them gently lowered them back to his sides. There was a hand resting against his back, rubbing gentle circles into it, holding him up. </p><p><span>“Deep breath, deep breaths,” a voice </span>said. “Come on, deep breaths.” </p><p><span>Newt suddenly noticed just how </span>heavily he was gasping for air and how hard his heart was pounding against his ribcage. Though he wasn’t sure had told him to do so, he sucked in a shuddering breath against the rock in his chest. It came in with a rattling wheeze, and he coughed it back out mere seconds later. </p><p>
  <span>“There you go… another one...” </span>
</p><p><span>Newt obeyed slightly less difficult this </span>time. </p><p>
  <span>“Good…” </span>
</p><p><span>Newt hadn’t realized his eyes were </span>shut until he forced them to open. The world around him was a blurry mesh of black and white, the few colors that were visible were saturated blobs. His head was spinning and his hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat. His entire body was shaking. </p><p><span>In front of him, a familiar face swam </span>into view with their head turned to the side. One he wasn’t sure he was happy to see or not. “Wh...?” He couldn’t find the air to finish the rest of his sentence. </p><p><span>“You’re alright,” Teresa said and turned </span>to head back from the monitors. She smiled at him gently. “You’re okay now.” </p><p>
  <span>“Wha….? Ha-Happen’d…?” He croaked. </span>
</p><p><span>“Try not to speak,” Teresa soothed him.  </span>“Just breathe, okay?” </p><p><span>Newt swallowed, then gratefully </span>sucked in the air that was blowing in his face. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, per day, but it effects eased him enough that he didn’t mind it. </p><p><span>“They pushed you too hard,” Teresa </span>explained gently. “You were getting low on oxygen, so I had to step in. They weren’t very happy with me, but I do outrank them just enough. Not enough as I’d like, but enough.” </p><p>
  <span>Newt had no idea whether or not he </span>
  <span>was hearing her correctly. If he was actually hearing what she was explaining. It’s not that he didn’t believe her, just that it sounded… odd. Who were </span>
  <em>
    <span>they? </span>
  </em>
  <span>What was going on? Where was he? Sonya? Where was she? Where was </span>
  <em>
    <span>he? </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>Teresa must’ve seen his odd look </span>because she smiled sheepishly. “Sorry… I put you in here so I could keep an eye on you.” </p><p><span>Newt’s hand came up to rest on the </span>mask on his face. He pulled it off slightly to try and talk. It hissed in the open air. “W… Where…we...?” </p><p><span>“We’re near the holding cells. This </span>room was vacant. I wasn’t sure you could make it back to Recovery in time...” </p><p><span>“Son...” Newt didn’t finish, he wasn’t </span>sure could without passing out first. A small cough burst from his lips. Sonya. Where was Sonya? </p><p><span>Teresa pressed the oxygen mask back </span>onto his face with a worried look. “Keep that there,” she said to him seriously. “Catch your breath… how about you try writing something instead?” Without waiting for a response, she reached behind her and pulled a piece of paper and pencil from the end table. She laid it out in front of Newt neatly, then handed him the pencil. </p><p><span>Though Newt’s hands were shaking, he </span>grasped the pencil tightly and brought it down on the paper. SONYA. he wrote in large letters and underlined it a couple of times. </p><p><span>“Oh.” Teresa said upon reading it. </span>“She’s back in the Recovery Hall. Safe and sound, just like promised.” </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>WHY? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why what?” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I'M TORTURED? </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>Teresa winced. “Sorry… they pushed </span>you hard, harder than should’ve been allowed. I’m going to see what I can do about that, but I’m going to make sure you don’t have to go through anything that bad again. I know I’m not in a very good position to make promises, but I can tell you I won’t stand for it. They nearly killed our only hope here… we can go back when you’re well enough...” </p><p><span>Newt could tell she was shaken, more </span>shaken that he’d seen her in a while. He still had a lot of backhanded comments in store, but he ultimately decided to pocket them… mostly out of pity. He leaned back onto the bed he was on and stared up at the ceiling. His breathing had gotten better in the time he’d been awake, it didn’t hurt as bad anymore. </p><p><span>Teresa didn’t move from the spot </span>beside his bed, but, this time, Newt didn’t kick her out. Instead, he decided to push his negative feelings away, then reached out his hand and laid it comfortingly on hers. She didn’t need his sass right now. </p><p><span>Teresa stiffened slightly and drew in a </span>quick breath, but she didn’t react any more than that. She didn’t move to try and touch him back and she didn’t pull away. When Newt looked up at her, he could see that her lips were pulled back in a warm and proud smile. </p><p><span>Nonetheless, he sighed and settled </span>back down in the bed, then closed his heavy eyes. It felt nice to rest them. </p><p><span>“Newt…?” Teresa’s voice murmured to </span>him worriedly. </p><p><span>If Newts eyes had been open, he </span>would’ve rolled them. But, instead, he gently squeezed her hand to let her know he was still there. Teresa brought her other, free hand on top of Newt’s comfortingly. </p><p><span>Neither of them said anything, but it </span>was alright because nothing needed to be said at that very moment. Nothing of importance anyways. They simply took a moment to share in their own unfortunate circumstances. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p><span>Newt didn’t remember much from the time</span> he’d fought to catch his breath and now. Only that he’d gone quite a long way, mostly steered and supported in a stumbling manner by Teresa… and, that he’d still found himself exhausted the entire time. </p><p><span>When they reached the room is about </span>where his memory was cut off. He might’ve passed out or even just blacked out, there was really no way of knowing. Only that he’d found himself waking up in a bed quite a long time after. </p><p><span>In his sleep, he’d dreamt of odd things </span>like Bergs flying away and being chased by Cranks and Grievers through the maze. Of pain and of his friends. He liked dreaming about his friends, his heart ached when he thought of them. </p><p><span>All of these topics swirled in his </span>thoughts like a tornado, haunting his sleep to the point where when it’d finally jostled him awake, he hadn’t really wanted to go back to sleep anyways.</p><p><span>Instead, Newt sat up and looked </span>around. His hand went to his chest subconsciously, but it was more really out of habit than pain. His wound felt a lot better nowadays with whatever he was being given to heal. A tube sat against his upper lip, just above his nose, blowing cold air. A monitor beeped steadily on the wall. </p><p>
  <span>There was really no way of telling if it </span>
  <span>was day or night right now, there were no windows in this place, but it seemed almost…</span>
  <em>
    <span> quieter </span>
  </em>
  <span>in the Recovery Hall… oddly enough. And, across the way, Newt could see Sonya, slumped and sleeping on her cot. She was facing him in a position that almost seemed like she’d been waiting for him to get back, but had failed to stay awake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t remember if he’d seen her </span>
  <span>in there or not before. Either way, it was reassuring knowing she was okay. After all that had happened to them, knowing she was honestly safe made it feel like a rock had been lifted from his chest. Or, at least, a </span>
  <em>
    <span>second</span>
  </em>
  <span> rock. He could suddenly breathe a lot easier. </span>
</p><p><span>Newt thought about waking her up, but </span>he quickly realized that she didn’t need to be bothered. She needed sleep, something he wasn’t sure he’d gotten when she was with the other prisoners… he just had to hope he’d still be here in the morning. </p><p><span>Sighing, Newt scooted to the edge of </span>the cot. He’d been working on walking without looking like a newborn kitten for quite some time now. It only got harder and harder after he was brought back, but he could never be sure if an opportunity would arise. Some escape it’d be if he fell flat onto his face trying to run. </p><p><span>Managing to sand was a challenge on its </span>own, his legs were still wobbly, and his left leg pinched and ached tremendously, but he pushed through it. He forced himself to remain upright no matter how much his legs protested. </p><p>He took a shaky step forwards, nearly and nearly face-planted, but remained standing. He was about to take another when Newt was snapped out of thought by the silence of the night being broken by the sound of the metal doors to the hallway creaking open. It was a sound he was all too familiar with. </p><p>
  <span>“I appreciate you coming down here to </span>
  <span>see for yourself Ma’am,” Teresa’s voice echoed, though her tone was kept soft and quiet. “He’s sleeping down the hall…” </span>
</p><p><span>The footsteps began coming closer and </span>it suddenly occurred to Newt that they were expecting him to be doing just that. He didn’t want to interrupt what they were talking about, mostly out of fear that he’d miss something important. So, he dove back into the bed, then turned his back to the glass and shut his eyes. He slowed his breathing, hoping that his pounding heart wouldn’t give him away on the monitors. </p><p><span>“And, you’re sure he’s actually been </span>cured of the Flare?” An older woman’s voice asked cautiously. </p><p><span>“Yes, Ma’am.” Teresa said. The </span>footsteps stopped, the voices were right outside. </p><p><span>“And, how can you be absolutely </span>positive?” </p><p><span>“I saw it for myself, Ma’am… at my last </span>job… I had some friends that were trying to save him, dragging him through The Last City. I hear he barely made it.” </p><p>
  <span>“You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>friends</span>
  </em>
  <span> with him…?” </span>
</p><p><span>“I wouldn’t say that…” Teresa chuckled. </span>“I’m afraid he doesn’t actually enjoy me that much. I think he’s starting to warm up, but we’ve definitely had a rocky start…” </p><p>
  <span>“Hm…” The woman hummed in thought. </span>
  <span>“Well, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>seems</span>
  </em>
  <span> fine now… though his heart rate </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>a bit fast…” </span>
</p><p><span>Calm </span><em><span>down! </span></em><span>Newt told himself, tried to </span>make his body relax. You’ll give yourself away! </p><p>
  <span>“He has a lot of nightmares…” Teresa </span>
  <span>said unfortunately, her tone sounded almost genuine. “It’s like that nearly </span>
  <em>
    <span>every</span>
  </em>
  <span> night…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, the poor love…” </span>
</p><p><span>“Which is why I ask you for the </span>promotion… or just a raise in power, it doesn’t have to be a lot...” </p><p><span>Newt pricked his ears, suddenly </span>curious. Promotion? What promotion? </p><p>
  <span>“And, you’d like one because…?” </span>
</p><p><span>“I’d like to be the Head of this project, </span>Ma’am. Earlier today, some technicians and doctors in the lab pushed him so hard, he nearly ran out of oxygen. I nearly had to go in there and unplug the machines myself. When he woke up, he could barely breathe. It was a miracle he didn’t sustain any long term damage…” </p><p><span>“And, why should I not simply talk to </span>the technicians or current head of the project directly?” </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I have reason to believe that </span>
  <span>they would still push too hard. People are getting desperate, Ma’am. Especially with a case we haven’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever </span>
  </em>
  <span>had, a boy that’s been </span>
  <em>
    <span>cured…” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman was silent in thought. For </span>
  <span>about a minute, the air was empty and still. But, finally, she spoke, her tone low and soft. “I wonder if there really </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>hope… where did they </span>
  <em>
    <span>find </span>
  </em>
  <span>this young man?” </span>
</p><p><span>“They say he was on a beach, Ma’am, in </span>a stolen berg with that girl right there…” Teresa said, probably referring to Sonya. “She stayed at his side the whole time and, I hear that if she hadn’t stepped in, they would’ve shot him. She cared for him the whole ride there after he collapsed and I believe she is the one responsible for nursing him back to health from the Flare as well...” </p><p><span>“A smart and brave girl. And, what are </span>we doing with her?” </p><p><span>“She is strictly collateral,” Teresa said. </span>“Leverage for his cooperation. We’ve made a deal that she won’t be hurt if he cooperates and, so far, he’s been doing well by that.” </p><p>
  <span>“You made a </span>
  <em>
    <span>deal</span>
  </em>
  <span> with him?” </span>
</p><p><span>“It makes life easier, Ma’am, to say the </span>least. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t help at all. And, as long as we keep getting results from him, I don’t mind her disinvolvement…” </p><p><span>“So you </span><em><span>have </span></em><span>made progress...?” The </span>woman’s voice sounded amazed. </p><p>
  <span>“We’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>getting</span>
  </em>
  <span> there…” </span>
</p><p><span>“You also say you’ve found something in </span>his blood?” </p><p>
  <span>“Uh… yes, but not a lot. See, there </span>
  <span>seems to be these… </span>
  <em>
    <span>antibodies </span>
  </em>
  <span>in his bloodstream, but there are very few like it takes a lot for his body to create them. Like if we were to take too much, he might get worse… the antibodies probably only sustain a single host, it would take about all of his blood to replicate a cure…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt tended slightly, jaw clenching to </span>
  <span>silence himself. Was </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>her master plan? Drain him of all of his blood for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid</span>
  </em>
  <span> cure? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And, you’re suggesting we do that?” </span>
</p><p><span>“Oh!” Teresa gasped as if she’d just </span>realized what she said. “Oh! No, no, of course not! If we killed him, we’d be out of luck…” </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, thank God… </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>“I’d like to study further to find an </span>alternative that won’t kill him in the process…”</p><p><span>“After years and years of trying to </span>think outside of the box, Teresa, you believe you can do it?” </p><p><span>Teresa was silent for a moment, </span>possibly thinking. “Yes, Ma’am,” she finally said. “The very least I can do is try…” </p><p><span>“Very well, Teresa…” The woman’s voice </span>sighed. “I shall talk with Dr. Reeves to raise you to a higher position in this project and this project alone. Yes?” </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Ma’am…!” Teresa’s voice sounded </span>
  <span>pleased, relieved, almost… </span>
  <em>
    <span>triumphant. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“You have no idea what this means to me…” </span>
</p><p><span>After that, the footsteps finally began </span>to retreat down the hallway. Only when the doors slammed shut did Newt allow his eyes to pop open. </p><p>
  <span>If he was being honest, he wasn’t sure </span>
  <span>what the hell to think of any of this. Teresa’s intentions </span>
  <em>
    <span>sounded </span>
  </em>
  <span>good, but were they really? Would she end up draining him after all? </span>
</p><p><span>Newt wasn’t sure of much here, but he </span>knew for a fact that he wasn’t willing to find out. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>Thomas wasn’t sure if he’d actually </span>passed out or if he’d just blacked out momentarily. He wasn’t sure how long it’d been since the car crashed into the solid surface, only that when he opened his eyes, he still found himself inside. </p><p><span>The smell of smoke and gasoline filled </span>his nostrils bitterly, stinging his eyes as well. All around him, everyone was groaning and moving around, seemingly alright enough though. </p><p><span>“Everyone okay?” Jorge called from the </span>front. </p><p><span>“Yeah…” Thomas responded. He cast a </span>look around, relieved to find all pairs of eyes open and looking around. “I think so…”</p><p><span> It was at that point Thomas noticed </span>that Minho and Gally seemed to have switched seats; he hadn’t expected to see Gally when he looked for Minho in the middle section. </p><p><span>Nonetheless, Thomas didn’t comment. </span>Instead, he turned his attention to the door beside him. The glass was broken and laid in shards around him, but he was unharmed. So, he brushed the fragments from the handle, then forced the door open.  </p><p><span>His legs felt like jelly when he stepped </span>out onto solid ground and waved his way through the smoke. Though nothing seemed to hurt particularly, he figured it was the adrenaline fading away. </p><p><span>Two packs were thrown from the car </span>door Thomas had just dragged himself out of, then Frypan followed close behind in his footsteps. </p><p><span>“Jesus!” The boy waved a hand in front </span>of his own face as he can’t to a stumbling stop near Thomas. “My God! What the hell happened?” </p><p>
  <span>“We couldn’t see a thing out of the </span>
  <span>windshield,” Brenda explained as she joined them. “There was so much </span>
  <em>
    <span>dust! </span>
  </em>
  <span>I don’t know where it all came from!” </span>
</p><p><span>Thomas didn’t have a clue either. His </span>attention was drawn to the five figures rounding from the other side of the car. The rest of the group swam into view. </p><p><span>“Everyone keep your distance,” Jorge </span>instructed sharply from the back. “I’m not taking any chances after what luck we just pulled.” </p><p><span>“How was that </span><em><span>lucky?” </span></em><span>Minho demanded. </span>“We drove off a cliff!” </p><p><span>“Jeez, Minho,” Harriet said. “Would you </span>rather go cliff diving on a fifty foot drop? Or the slope that probably saved our lives?” </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“We drove off a cliff!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>“Slim it, Minho,” Gally hushed. “You’ll </span>attract the cranks!” </p><p><span>“You think they’ll follow us down here?” </span>Aris asked. </p><p><span>“I ain’t willin’ to find out! I say we get </span>out of here before they realize where we’ve—!” </p><p><span>“Hold on a second,” Thomas cut in. He </span>turned to the man in the group, pretty much the only semi-responsible adult. “Jorge, do you think you could fix up the car?”</p><p><span>Jorge shot him an uneasy look, but </span>right as he opened his mouth, a loud BOOM rattled through the air as the car suddenly burst into flames. </p><p>
  <span>Thomas flinched back, hand going to </span>
  <span>cover his eyes at the sudden burst of light. A wave of heat slammed into his face and every square inch of glass shattered upon impact. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group was shocked into silence. </span>
</p><p><span>“You know, Hermano,” Jorge finally </span>said. “I’m going to take a wild guess and say no.” </p><p><span>For a moment, all Thomas could do </span>stare at the car on fire in half-shock and disappointment. Most of the supplies they’d had in there was gone. Except for the packs that’d been thrown out, the personal ones, they had little to nothing left. And, most of the supplies they’d come for was currently going up in flames. </p><p><span>“Well,” Minho was first to speak. “Isn’t </span>that an amazing turn of events?” </p><p><span>On Thomas’ right, Brenda was already </span>shouldering her pack begrudgingly. “I guess we’re on foot, then…” </p><p> </p><p><span>Traveling ‘on foot’ was arguably </span>Thomas’ least favorite way of traveling. He was used to it, of course, but he absolutely despised it. </p><p><span>Everyone was mostly silent as they </span>trudged, however, it was a blessing to Thomas’ ears and energy levels not to listen to them bicker. </p><p><span>They’d made it as far as they could </span>while the sun set and even went into the late hours of night. Walking was bad enough as it was, adding the hot and blazing sun to the equation wasn’t an upgrade. </p><p><span>They’d traveled as long and as far as </span>they could through the rest of the pass. It wasn’t until people began stumbling and tripping did Jorge finally decide to call it a night. </p><p><span>The ground was cold, hard, and rocky </span>when Thomas fell against it, but he was too tired to complain about it. He was out like a light. </p><p><span>He’d been far too tired for any dreams, </span>but he wasn’t exactly complaining about that. What he would complain about was how quickly he was awoken again. It only felt like about three minutes later that someone was shaking his shoulder. </p><p><span>“Thomas,” Minho’s voice was groggy. </span>“Thomas, we’ve gotta go.” </p><p>
  <span>“Hm?” Thomas answered, he raised his </span>
  <span>head slightly. He’d literally </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>fallen asleep. Minho’s face swam into view, looking just as exhausted and muddled as he felt.  </span>
</p><p><span>“We’ve gotta go, Shank!” Minho groaned </span>and gave Thomas’ shoulder a shove. “Get up!”  </p><p><span>Thomas sat up tiredly, first noticing </span>the smoldering embers of a fire in front of him, then the rest of the party mirroring his exhausted feelings. </p><p><span>“What’s the hurry?” Harriet yawned. “</span>Sun’s not even out yet...” </p><p>
  <span>“We can rest when it gets too hot to </span>
  <span>walk,” Jorge said, looking the most awake of anyone. “Come on, We’ve gotta live smart if we want to make it out here. The mountain pass ends soon, so we’ve gotta try and beat the heat…” </span>
</p><p><span>Brenda stood beside him, back hunched </span>slightly, but eyes open and ready. She was most likely used to this. </p><p><span>Thomas forced his legs to push him up, </span>even as shaky as they felt. He wished for anything to be in the car right now, or on the berg, or on the island. It was too early for this right now. “Where are we going?” </p><p><span>“Still heading North,” Jorge replied. </span>“In the direction of the Berg.” </p><p><span>And so, the journey began again, this </span>time with a much delayed start. The group walked through endless miles of rocky roads and giant rock hills. The sun rose over the peaks of the mountains, blinding them with its terrible light and heat as they pushed on. </p><p><span>Thomas’ pack felt like it weight 6 tons, </span>like he was carrying one of the mountains itself on his back. Sweat beaded at his forehead and neck, worsening as the sun climbed higher and higher in the sky. His boots dragged beneath him through the rocky and dust, the very noise scraped on the inside of his brain. </p><p><span>In every direction, there were </span>mountains of all varying shapes and sizes. Besides Thomas and his friends, there were virtually no signs of life anywhere. </p><p><span>They had barely reached the edge of </span>the mountains by the time the sun had risen to the center of the sky. When it got too hot to continue, they took a break in a small, but shaded cave in the mountain. </p><p><span>Thomas collapsed on the rock with a </span>grunt, his chest heaved up and down quickly, sweat dripped down the sides of his face. Someone passed him a water bottle and he didn’t waste a second to gulp down a couple of sips. </p><p><span>Minho took a seat down next to him, </span>just as sweaty and exhausted. </p><p><span>“We should’ve never left the island…” </span>Thomas’ lips were moving before he could stop himself, but he honestly didn’t care anymore. He passed Minho the bottle and the boy turned to look at him. </p><p><span>“What makes you say that?” He </span>deadpanned sarcastically. </p><p>
  <span>Thomas sighed and leaned his head </span>
  <span>back against the wall. “I forgot how absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>horrifying</span>
  </em>
  <span> this place is…” </span>
</p><p><span>“It wouldn’t </span><em><span>be </span></em><span>as bad if we still had </span>the Berg,” Jorge called over to him. “Or shelter. Or a truck.” </p><p>
  <span>“We’re going to melt out here,” Brenda </span>
  <span>agreed. “Haven’t had to cross The Scorch in a while and we’re nowhere near </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> place we could find a way across.” </span>
</p><p><span>Thomas chuckled slightly, almost </span>ironically. “This what you had in mind, Brenda?” </p><p><span>Brenda turned to lol at him, she puffed </span>a slight laugh. “No,” she admitted and shook her head with a smile. “Not at all. I thought we’d be there and back in a few days. Not crashing a car, crossing a mountain path, and then a Scorch.” </p><p><span>“The things we do for each other…” </span>Aris added quietly, his voice dejected. </p><p><span>Thomas turned to look at him, but only </span>found his eyes glued to the exit… or rather, who stood right outside. </p><p><span>Harriet stood on the edge of the cliff, </span>her arms crossed tightly over her chest, staring into the distance longingly. </p><p><span>“She hasn’t been in yet,” Aris said. “I </span>can’t talk her into it.” </p><p><span>Thomas frowned, his brow furrowed in </span>concern. Usually, reassuring was Newt’s job, Sonya’s as well, but they weren’t here now… “I’ll… go talk to her,” he said. He knew exactly what she was thinking about. </p><p><span>When Aris gestured for him to go </span>ahead, Thomas stood again. He headed up to the entrance, squinting the closer he got to the light. He tried not to whine when he stepped outside into the heat again. </p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” He said to Harriet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harriet glanced at him briefly. “Hey.”</span>
</p><p><span>Thomas thought back to Sonya on the </span>beach, when he’d woken up from his nightmare. It’d made him feel better talking with her, soothed him almost. “Want to talk about it?” </p><p><span>Harriet sighed deeply. “S...Son’s been </span>with WCKD before. She still has nightmares, so does Aris. Whatever WCKD did to them…” she shook her head. </p><p><span>“We’re going to get them back, Thomas </span>assured her and he meant it with every ounce of his being. “However long it takes, we will.” </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Harriet replied. “I know… it’s </span>
  <span>just… I can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>imagine </span>
  </em>
  <span>what they’ll go through before we get there. If they’ll even be alive… what if something happens?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Thomas said. “If I know </span>
  <span>anything, it’s that they can take care of themselves. Both of them.  The things they’ve endured in the past…” he swallowed, thinking back to how he’d been told Newt had gotten his limp. “They’re as tough as nails. They can fight through </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything…” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>Harriet turned and gave him a small, </span>watery smile. “Thanks, Thomas,” she said. </p><p><span>Thomas smiled back at her. He </span>understood what she was feeling more than he was willing to admit. Losing Newt the first time had felt like someone had ripped his heart from his chest. He’d nearly crumbled to tears when he learned Newt was still alive. Now, he was gone again, and Thomas felt the pain. </p><p><span>“Rest some, Harriet,” he told her. “We </span>can’t get to them sooner if you pass out.” </p><p>
  <span>Harriet sighed, then finally </span>
  <span>surrendered a nod. When she turned to head inside, however, she froze. “Is that… </span>
  <em>
    <span>smoke?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>Thomas turned too, not completely sure </span>what she was getting at. But, then he saw it, too. Billowing grey smoke rising from the close side of the mountain. “Uh… guys?” He called back to the rest. He wasn’t sure what else to say. </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the group came wandering out of the cave, some more concerned than others. </span>
</p><p><span>Minho stopped beside Thomas. “Did </span>something big catch on fire?” </p><p><span>“No…” Frypan sniffed the air. “Smell </span>that?” </p><p><span>Thomas inhaled as well, surprised to </span>discover the faint smell of… bacon…? </p><p><span>“I’d know that smell anywhere,” Frypan </span>continued. “It’s hard to forget.” </p><p>
  <span>“It’s hard to </span>
  <em>
    <span>ignore,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Minho said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas' stomach growled. He suddenly </span>
  <span>realized that he hadn’t eaten since the pop tart in the car. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No one</span>
  </em>
  <span> had. “Should we… check it out?” </span>
</p><p><span>A couple of glances were exchanged </span>between the group, but none were of disagreement. So, despite the heat of the day, Thomas and his friends were motivated by different, better things and they continued down the mountain in a haste. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>Thomas didn’t know what he was </span>expecting as he trudged down the side of the hill. He hoped for the best, but even he realized his false hope. Nothing ever turned out nice for him, he couldn’t just stay in a normal, peaceful life without feeling like something was missing. </p><p><span>When they reached the bottom of the </span>hill, however, his hopes weren’t yet crushed. In fact, they seemed tragically to grow. </p><p><span>The smell of bacon grew stronger and </span>Thomas found himself walking faster towards the worn out farm hour nestled in the side of the cliff side. The lights inside were on, someone was home. </p><p><span>“Thomas,” Brenda fell into pace beside </span>him first, her voice worried. “Are you sure we should be… charging in like this?” </p><p><span>“Brenda, there’s like 8 of us,” Thomas </span>told her. “7 hungry teens and Jorge. Useless this is somehow a secret WCKD base, I don’t think we should have anything to worry about.” </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know…” Brenda said. “This </span>
  <span>seems… </span>
  <em>
    <span>off… </span>
  </em>
  <span>who would be living like this in the apocalypse?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honestly?” Minho walked up on </span>
  <span>Thomas’ other side. “Whoever’s livin’ out here like this is… well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>living, </span>
  </em>
  <span>to put it simply. Living like normal, at least… Erm, living normal like before the apocalypse kind of normal, though. I envy them.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you really, Minho?” Brenda scoffed. </span>
  <span>“They’re in a farmhouse, how </span>
  <em>
    <span>good </span>
  </em>
  <span>could it be?” </span>
</p><p><span>“Oh, I’m </span><em><span>sorry,” </span></em><span>Minho shot back. </span>“Would you rather be in Crank Town?” </p><p><span>Brenda opened her mouth to respond, </span>but she must’ve noticed Thomas’ subtle, bothered look, because she snapped her mouth shut. </p><p><span>“All I’m saying is we give it a try,” </span>Thomas said.</p><p><span> “He’s right, Mija, the bastard,” Jorge </span>called. “It’s too hot to travel, at the very least we could ask for some food.” </p><p><span>“Why the hell do you think they’d spare </span>any? We’re in the apocalypse.” </p><p><span>“Exactly,” Jorge said. “We’re in the </span>apocalypse. Sometimes, we’ve gotta make stupid decisions. Stupider with Thomas in charge, sure, but maybe still worth it.”  </p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” </span>
</p><p><span>Brenda looked like she wanted to say </span>more, but she must’ve now realized how close they’d gotten to the front door of the place. She stopped a few feet back, then crossed her arms over her chest as Thomas and Minho headed up to the door. </p><p><span>Thomas winced at the sound of weapons </span>being drawn behind him, but he figured it was best to be safe than sorry. He raised his fist tentatively to the door, then gave 3 hearty knocks. </p><p><span>Any noise coming from the farmhouse </span>instantly stopped. The light in the kitchen flickered off. </p><p>
  <span>“Uh…” Thomas decided to call inside. </span>
  <span>“We’re, Uh, not cranks!” He wasn’t even sure if cranks could </span>
  <em>
    <span>knock</span>
  </em>
  <span> on the door. “Just some… survivors…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow,” Minho grumbled beside him. </span>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Very </span>
  </em>
  <span>convincing, Thomas. I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>positive </span>
  </em>
  <span>cranks can knock on doors.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up, Minho.” </span>
</p><p><span>But, their banter was quickly shocked </span>into silence by the sound of a click from the door. Both boys took a step back at just the right moment—! </p><p>
  <span>BANG! </span>
</p><p><span>A gunshot rang from inside the house, </span>bursting through the wooden door with a splintering crack. </p><p><span>Minho jumped away to the left, Thomas </span>went to the right. </p><p><span>“Ah! What the </span><em><span>hell, </span></em><span>man!” Minho cried. </span>“We don’t wanna hurt you! We just said that!” </p><p><span>Finally, the door swung open and, in its </span>wake stood an older man with a loaded shotgun. He loaded a shell into the chamber, then pointed it at Thomas. “What do you want?” </p><p><span>Thomas raised his hands in surrender. </span>“Uh… just a place to get out of the sun… we’ve been walking all night and we’re kinda tired…?” </p><p><span>“Nice try,” the man said. “But, I already </span>told you WCKD bastards. I ain’t got nothing you want.” </p><p><span>“WCKD?” Thomas shook his head </span>frantically. “No, no, we’re not with WCKD. We hate WCKD! We’re survivors, like you!” </p><p>
  <span>The man swallowed, his baby blue eyes </span>
  <span>darted from Thomas, to Minho, then the rest of the group behind them. “Bunch of </span>
  <em>
    <span>kids…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he grumbled under his breath. “‘Cept for that older guy… don’t see no cranks…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, Sir,” Thomas said. “We can </span>
  <span>explain everything, we </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> need your help.” </span>
</p><p><span>“How do I know I can trust y’all? Lettin’ </span>a bunch of strangers into my home?” </p><p><span>“We won’t get in your hair,” Thomas </span>said. He winced slightly at the comment, this man had very little to get into anyways. “Uh, we won’t get in the way. We just need some shade—!” </p><p>
  <span>“Why?” </span>
</p><p><span>“Because our friends were taken by </span>WCKD and I’d really like to not die trying to rescue them!” Harriet suddenly exclaimed. She pushed her way to the front of the group and stood fully in front of the man. </p><p><span>Thomas froze and swallowed nervously. </span>Please don’t let her screw this up. “Harriet…” </p><p>
  <span>“If he wants the truth, fine, we’ll tell </span>
  <span>him!” Harriet’s fists balled at her sides as she began filling with anger, but she remained unmoving in the same spot. “We live on an island out at sea, we came here for supplies because there was a storm that destroyed almost everything. We had this… </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend </span>
  </em>
  <span>that got </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt </span>
  </em>
  <span>and he was healing, but then the storm hit, and we had no medicine. So, we had to plan a trip to come get supplies for the friend and the island, but the only way we'd get some </span>
  <em>
    <span>stubborn </span>
  </em>
  <span>people to go with was by taking the said injured friend with us! We left him and my… </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend </span>
  </em>
  <span>in the place we’d used to get here, but something happened, and we watched WCKD fly away with them!” </span>
</p><p><span>Thomas sighed his defeat, then slowly </span>turned back to the man. He seemed to have trouble processing this, it was like every gear in his head was turning. </p><p>
  <span>“An </span>
  <em>
    <span>injured</span>
  </em>
  <span> friend, hm…? What kinda </span>
  <em>
    <span>injured?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stab wound!” Thomas jumped in before </span>
  <span>anyone could spill the beans about a potential cure. He wasn’t sure what this lone man could do with that information, but the apocalypse made </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone</span>
  </em>
  <span> crazy, not </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>the cranks. “He was stabbed in the chest, it took him a while to recover…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Taken by WCKD?” </span>
</p><p><span>“Yes, Sir. And, another one of our </span>friends as well…” </p><p><span>The man’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, </span>like he was piecing something together in his head. “Now, tell me, young ones… why on earth would WCKD take two teenage kids? What was the point? To be experiments?”</p><p>
  <span>“Uh—!” </span>
</p><p><span>“Y’all certainly fit the age, don’t ya?” </span>The man licked his lips, a proud smile curled onto his face. “Y’all are Munies, ain’t ya?” </p><p><span>Thomas’ jaw clamped shut, his eyes </span>darted nervously to Minho. He didn’t want to hurt this man, but if he would even start to threaten them, it would be over. “Yes… Sir…” </p><p>
  <span>“Ah… WCKD’s little rebellious </span>
  <span>experiments…” the man chuckled slightly. “Livin’ on an island away from them </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> the cranks… very smart… tell me one good reason why I shouldn’t tell just WCKD you’re here?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You wouldn’t make it to any </span>
  <span>communicators in time,” Minho said, fed up. “And, trust me when I say, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>want to push us.” </span>
</p><p><span>“Seems we’ve got a big mouth over </span>here…” the man said. He pointed his shotgun at Minho, who was glaring at it as if trying to make it combust. “But, you still haven’t given me a decent enough reason.” </p><p><span>“Because…” Thomas swallowed. </span>“Because if you tell them now, our plans will go to shit. If you force us into WCKD, we’ll surely die before we can get the chance to tear down the assholes ourselves.” </p><p><span>“You’re after </span><em><span>WCKD?” </span></em><span>The man sounded </span>awestruck. </p><p><span>“Listen, in the end, we’re just kids, Sir,” </span>Thomas tried to reason. “trying to survive through this messed up world, just like you… we really don’t want to be a bother, but burning alive out here isn’t a much better option either…”  </p><p><span>The man’s hard expression suddenly </span>faded away, leaving something vulnerable for just a moment. “I suppose that’s the difference between us…” he said, the shotgun slowly began to lower. “Your life spans will be much greater than mine… alright, alright, you can rest in here. I’d be lying if I said it don’t get lonely sometimes.” </p><p><span>“Thank you, Sir,” Brenda said. She </span>shook Minho a dangerous look as she passed, almost as if saying ‘you’re an idiot,’ but Thomas supposed the boy was used to at least that much. </p><p><span>The group piled through the farmhouse </span>doors behind the lone farmer. Though it was hot and stuffy indoors, it wasn’t nearly as bad as outside. At least they wouldn’t be dying in here.</p><p><span>“I suppose you're hungry…” the man’s </span>voice called from the kitchen. “I’m still not very fond of the idea, but I suppose I’d better at least have some decency and be hospitable…” </p><p><span>After casting a look around the </span>entrance hall and discovering nothing but a picture of a family, Thomas began heading towards the kitchen. The smell of food was heavenly the closer he got and, though his stomach growled, he decided to remain modest. “We don’t need a lot,” he said. “We’ve survived on less…” </p><p><span>“Hm.” The man paid no mind to his </span>statement. He’d recently made only 2 strips of bacon, but now he’d pulled a whole packet’s worth out of an ice box.</p><p><span>Thomas watched him for a moment, </span>confusion growing when he next pulled out all the eggs he had in store. “Uh, Sir?” He asked, worriedly. “Why are you using all of your food? Don’t you need it?” </p><p>
  <span>“Mind your damn business, Kid!” The </span>
  <span>man growled and broke another egg on his frying pan. “I thought you </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted</span>
  </em>
  <span> food. Isn’t that why you’re here?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We really don’t need a lot—!” </span>
</p><p><span>“Quit complaining and just </span><em><span>accept </span></em><span>it, </span>Munies!” The man snapped. “It’s the least you can do barging in on my peace like this!” </p><p><span>“Right…” Thomas sighed, let his gaze </span>drop. “You’re right. Sorry.” <span>He turned to find Minho standing </span>by his shoulder and  could think of nothing more to do than shrug in response, unsure of how he was supposed to answer. </p><p>
  <span>Minho shrugged, too, then nodded to the living room behind him. Leave him to it? He seemed to be suggesting. </span>
</p><p><span>Thomas agreed with a hesitant nod. </span>With one, final look to the man, he and Minho turned towards the rest of the group. </p><p><span>They’d made themselves comfortable  </span>on couches and chairs alike, that was for sure, Frypan and Gally even seemed perfectly content on the floor. It was a break they weren’t always granted. The last night had been spent on mountain rocks, which weren’t exactly comfortable. </p><p><span>“So, does anyone have any idea how long </span>we’re staying?” Brenda asked. </p><p><span>“That depends on this kind man here,” </span>Jorge said and jammed a finger over his shoulder. </p><p><span>Harriet nodded in agreement. “Hate to </span>say he’s right, but, even if I’d love a long sleep, I don’t want to overstay my welcome.” </p><p><span>“Since when do </span><em><span>you </span></em><span>care?” Minho shot </span>back. </p><p><span>“Since I realized I wouldn’t want </span>stranger barging in on me either.”  </p><p><span>“Look on the bright side,” Aris cut in. </span>“At least he’s not threatening us with a shotgun anymore.” </p><p><span>“Yeah, but it was real weird how quickly </span>he changed his mind about us,” Frypan snorted. </p><p><span>“He’s emptying the fridge as we speak,” </span>Thomas pointed out. </p><p><span>“Maybe he just feels bad?” Gally </span>inquired, but even he sounded doubtful. </p><p><span>Thomas wasn’t quite sure what to make </span>of it all, but he figured that complaining about it wouldn’t get them anywhere. They could either be burning alive outside or inside with an odd, but hospitable man. The latter seemed like such a better option. </p><p>
  <span>“We should just lay low for now,” Jorge </span>
  <span>said, nearly speaking Thomas’ mind. “What this man does is </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>business and his business alone.” </span>
</p><p><span>Everyone in the room exchanged </span>worried looks with each other, but all seemed to ultimately agree that the man had a point. </p><p><span>“We should leave as soon as we can,” </span>Thomas said. “According to the man, there’s a facility somewhere around here. I don’t know if it’s WCKD or not, WCKD is scattered and on its last stand, it may not be them who took Sonya and Newt.” </p><p><span>But that still begged the question. If </span>WCKD was mostly gone, then who’d taken Newt and Sonya? And, why? </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Thomas had done his fair share of </span>
  <span>strange things in the time he could remember, but none could’ve been stranger than this… in the good way, at least. Of course, he’d seen illness, death… </span>
  <em>
    <span>zombies </span>
  </em>
  <span>of all things. He thought he was done being surprised, but when he found himself sitting at a wooden dining table like it was the most normal thing in the world, he felt out of place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t some big fancy meal that the </span>
  <span>man had prepared for them, but it wasn’t scraps either. Nor was it island food. It was just some bacon, eggs, toast, and orange juice. A standard meal… or what Thomas </span>
  <em>
    <span>thought </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be standard anyways. There really wasn’t much fancy, lowly, or island-y about it. It was just… </span>
  <em>
    <span>normal. </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>“Eat up, Kiddos…” the man said from </span>the head of the table. “I didn’t waste my morning on this for nothing.” </p><p><span>Thomas exchanged a weary look with </span>Minho beside, unsure what to think. Would the man poison them? Then, they go trough all the trouble? And, by this point, what was the difference. </p><p>
  <span>For a moment, Thomas threw </span>
  <span>caution to the wind. He grabbed a fork, then stabbed some scrambled eggs and shoved them in his mouth. They tasted better than anything he’d ever tasted before. Better than the island, better than WCKD, better than the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Glade… </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>Upon seeing that it was safe as well, </span>the rest dug in like hungry, savage animals. Though, by now, Thomas would actually argue for it. Wasn’t that what they all were deep down? Hungry, savage animals? </p><p><span>The man had let them in, yes, but he </span>also seemed pretty hostile. His eyes darted around the table like at any moment he would just snap. </p><p><span>Thomas tried to focus on his plate, but </span>he felt it when the man’s gaze locked on him like steel chains. Just look away, he willed the man. When his silent plea was not answered, though, Thomas finally found the courage to look up sheepishly. </p><p><span>“You the leader?” The man asked him </span>suspiciously upon meeting his gaze. </p><p>
  <span>“Uh…” the others were staring at him </span>
  <span>expectantly as well. “Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>solely, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sir,” Thomas admitted. “We all pull our weight.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then who </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>the leader?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a pretty open ended question,” </span>
  <span>Minho said and folded his arms on the table. “Besides, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>said we </span>
  <em>
    <span>all </span>
  </em>
  <span>pull our weight…” </span>
</p><p><span>The man glared at him. “Don’t give me </span>lip, Boy...” </p><p><span>Minho frowned in shock and disgust, </span>but Thomas shot him a look before he could react much more. </p><p><span>“Why are you asking?” Thomas </span>continued. </p><p><span>“Jus’ </span><em><span>curious</span></em><span> is all…” the man’s eye </span>narrowed slightly at Thomas, then drifted back down to the food in front of him. He hadn’t really eaten much on his plate. “I’ve heard about you Munies before, you know… WCKD’s view of you isn’t very nice.” </p><p>
  <span>“The feeling’s mutal.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, they always asking if I’m </span>
  <span>stowing any away any of ya.. which, now that I think about it, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am…” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>“We won’t be here for long,” Brenda </span>said. “We’ll just rest for a bit, then be on our way.” </p><p><span>“Hm.” The man’s eyes narrowed. “Might I </span>ask what a group of Munie kids are doing in the mountains?” </p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” Thomas shrugged. “It’s… It’s, uh, </span>
  <span>a </span>
  <em>
    <span>long</span>
  </em>
  <span> story,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Summarize.” </span>
</p><p><span>Thomas didn’t know if he could. There </span>was so much to tell, so many things that could’ve remained secret, a lot that didn’t need to either. He was saved having to do so, however, when Minho scoffed quietly, his head was bent towards his plate as he ate, but his voice was just as confident as ever. </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s just say WCKD likes to bother us </span>
  <span>with every chance they get. They took something important to us and now, I’ll be honest, I’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> to see the bastards finally fall.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man chuckled dryly. “That’s where </span>
  <span>you’re wrong, Kid. WCKD hasn’t been the same, even </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>know that. They crumbled, fell pretty hard, I don’t know how or why. They’ve still got some facilities, sure, but they’re struggling. It’s funny, you say you want to take them down even though they're down… not to mention, they’re more likely out of any of </span>
  <em>
    <span>us</span>
  </em>
  <span> to find a cure.” </span>
</p><p><span>Minho looked up curiously, even </span>exchanged a look with Thomas. </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Thomas asked. </span>
</p><p><span>“WCKD is pretty much destroyed, Kid. </span>Word travels fast. Something happened in that Last City, I hear people started going crazy, they broke in. Our only hope for living is gone and our last sight of somewhat normal life has been destroyed.” </p><p><span>The young group around the table </span>exchanged odd looks and, though they didn’t verbally converse, Thomas knew they shared the same thoughts. </p><p><span>“Did you happen to see a giant airship </span>pass by here?” Minho asked.</p><p><span> “What? Large, metal machines, kinda </span>hard to miss?” </p><p>
  <span>“That’s the one…” </span>
</p><p><span>The man snorted. “Course I did. I ain’t </span>blind, Child!” </p><p>
  <span>“Did you see where it was headed?” </span>
</p><p><span>The man glared back at him, then rolled </span>his eyes like the answer was obvious. “Towards the nearest facility, I reckon.” </p><p>
  <span>“Facility?” Thomas asked.</span>
</p><p><span>“WCKD may be on its last stilts, but I </span>suppose the bastards won’t give up easy neither. They’ve spread out, I heard, all over the place, trying to finish this shit show one way or another. In old facilities, with other allies, you name it.” </p><p>
  <span>“How do you know they’re weak?” </span>
</p><p><span>“Seen it myself,” the man said. “On the </span>rare occasions I go on supplies runs in the truck out front, I pass by one. It’s the biggest, I think, but it looks like it runs on about 3% power, if you know what I mean. There’s screaming’ in there, too. Crazy place.” </p><p><span>Another look was exchanged. This time, </span>the expressions were hopeful. </p><p><span>“Is it large enough to hold at </span>least 2-3 Bergs?” Brenda asked. “And, one that performs experiments? Heavily guarded?” </p><p><span>The man shrugged. “As guarded as they </span>can be, the people are runnin’ low, time’s running out.” </p><p>
  <span>Harriet spoke up next. “Which way was </span>
  <span>it going? You said over the mountains and your house, so… </span>
  <em>
    <span>north?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The man raised his gaze slightly, </span>
  <span>opened his mouth to respond, then paused. “I…” he swallowed. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>think </span>
  </em>
  <span>so…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harriet frowned. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>think </span>
  </em>
  <span>so?” </span>
</p><p><span>“Yeah? And, what?” The man grit his </span>teeth. </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t remember?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You watch your mouth, Girl!” The man </span>
  <span>lashed out, he stood from his seat so quickly, the table shuttered. “You get to be my age, we’ll see how good you remember! Y-You live in this messed up world for </span>
  <em>
    <span>half </span>
  </em>
  <span>the time I have! Then, try it by </span>
  <em>
    <span>yourself! </span>
  </em>
  <span>God knows you’ll make it to this age, too, you overprivileged, little Munie b—!” But, he suddenly trailed off just as quickly and his shoulders fell when he cast a look around the table. </span>
</p><p><span>By now, everyone including Thomas, was </span>staring at him with a mixture of shock and fear on their faces. </p><p><span>The man swallowed, his wide eyes </span>darted to his balled fists at his side fearfully. “Um…  excuse me.” Then, before anyone else could react, he threw his napkin onto the table and raced into a room down the hall. The door slammed behind him with a snap. </p><p><span>Thomas wasn’t quite sure if he’d </span>actually just seen that happen. He looked around the table, noticing that everyone else was sharing his confusion. </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t sound </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>cynical, did I?” </span>
  <span>Harriet asked in bewilderment and shock. “I really didn’t mean to </span>
  <em>
    <span>offend</span>
  </em>
  <span> him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No…” Aris muttered and shook his </span>
  <span>head. “I don’t think it was cynical enough to cause… Uh… </span>
  <em>
    <span>that…” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“This place is </span>
  <em>
    <span>shucked,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Frypan </span>
  <span>muttered as he stood up. “It gives me the </span>
  <em>
    <span>creeps.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>Thomas nodded in agreement and </span>copied his friend, the situation of sitting there was suddenly awkward. </p><p>
  <span>“We should help out some…” Frypan </span>
  <span>offered. “To apologize for… </span>
  <em>
    <span>offending </span>
  </em>
  <span>him.” </span>
</p><p><span>“Shank’s got a point,” Gally agreed. He </span>stood and picked up his own plate as well. “I guess a lot of people are on edge lately… with their only hope for a cure gone.” </p><p><span>“As far as they </span><em><span>know—!” </span></em><span>Minho began </span>to say, but Thomas held out his hand slightly and shook his head. </p><p><span>“Keep your voice down, Minho,” he told </span>his friend cautiously. “I just… I’m not sure about it yet, okay?” </p><p>
  <span>“What are you talking about, Shank?” </span>
  <span>Minho grumbled. “We all heard Teresa that night…” he looked over at Brenda uncertainly. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You’re </span>
  </em>
  <span>the one who cured her… who cured </span>
  <em>
    <span>him… </span>
  </em>
  <span>who could cure </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone…” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>Thomas knew he had a point, but he </span>still thought it was best to be cautious. “I know,” he said honestly. “Let’s just keep that to ourselves for now, though,  alright? Just until we get a better grip on things...” </p><p><span>Minho didn’t seem so sure either, but </span>he thankfully didn’t question any further. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>Newt was getting tired of repeating </span>the same process everyday, but it wasn’t long before he realized how he could use it to his advantage. He knew the way there and back from the Recovery Rooms to Holding and Experimentation like the back of his hand. </p><p><span>Every day, some doctors would come </span>into his room, drug him, then take him through the facility to be experimented on. He never was fully asleep, that was the weird thing about it, he was calm, docile, and he couldn’t see very well, but he was awake. He’d taken this time to memorize the movements there and back to Recovery. By now, he’d formed a plan. </p><p><span>Newt would have about thirty seconds </span>of almost total awareness before he was sucked into his own head to begin the torture. He knew he was always granted at least the amount of time it took to look around the room before they started. Why? He couldn’t be sure. He didn’t know if it was accidental or not, but nonetheless, it was an opportunity. </p><p><span>Today, thankfully, was no different. </span>When the doctors came, Newt tried not to seem so willing to go. He put up somewhat of a fight, but not as much as he usually did to save energy. They ended up sticking him with the needle, just like usual, and he collapsed in a heap. His vision wavered for a moment as they lifted him up, the world began to blur as they set him on the gurney. </p><p><span>Keep calm, Newt told himself. Keep </span>calm and focus.The movement began shortly after that and he took a deep, dizzying breath. It’s just like the maze. Left, left, right, left, right, right, left… </p><p><span>The people above him had begun to talk </span>with each other, their voices a jumbled mess of underwater murmuring. It wasn’t very intelligible at first, he only really caught half of it.  </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“...kids… feel bad… hear </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>immune...experiments...” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>It was reassuring to know he wasn’t </span>missing anything he hadn’t already known… or anything otherwise interesting anyways. </p><p><span>His eyes slid across the ceiling tiles, </span>watching each one as they passed with the square yellow lights above him. He watched them turn again and again until he found himself in another room. This one had slightly different ceiling tiles. </p><p><span>In his fuzzy, but clearing vision, Newt </span>looked around the place. He couldn’t see much, but he was able to recognize medical instruments tables and metal poles. There was a sedative syringe and scalpels alike… Something to use as a weapon? </p><p><span>There was no way Newt could have fought </span>them off all at once, three against one might have been simpler for his friends, but not for him. What could he do that could distract and separate them? What could he do quickly enough? What if they tried restraining him? It’s not like he could’ve fought—! Then, suddenly, Newt got an idea. </p><p><span>Minho’s voice rang in his ears, a story </span>that he must’ve told Newt at some point. When? He wasn’t sure, he couldn’t put the voice to a picture, but he heard it nonetheless. Like his conscious brain had picked up some weird radio signal or something unbeknownst to him. </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“...fought off the doctors before they </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>could start… didn’t even get all restraints on… used a sedative on one… scalpel on another…” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>The doctors lifted him from the gurney </span>to a cold metal table with restraints. One of them went to work on his hands first while the others finished setting up. When they pulled  the left restraint tight and tried to move onto the right, though, Newt set his plan into action. </p><p><span>He sucked in a deep, gasping breath of </span>air like it was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do, then tensed his body sharply and allowed his eyes to roll into the back of his head. He had no idea if what he was doing was believable, but the doctor never did finish restraining him. </p><p>
  <span>“What’s—?” </span>
</p><p><span>Before they had time to finish, Newt  </span>slammed his head back on the table and began to shake as violently as he could. When hands reached over to him, he swatted and kicked them away like it was only because he couldn’t control himself. </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“He’s seizing!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Someone yelled. </span>
</p><p><span>Footsteps pounded by, heading towards </span>the door. </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Someone grab an anticonvulsant—!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>And, there was Newt’s cue again. He </span>didn’t want to be drugged with something that could kill him, so he finally allowed his eyes to shoot open. He jackknifed into a sitting position and grabbed a scalpel from the medical instruments table beside him. </p><p><span>When one of the doctors dove to stop </span>him, Newt twisted back and thrust the scalpel into the man’s knee. He roared in pain, then collapsed to the floor. </p><p><span>Another doctor tried charging Newt as </span>well, but before he could get close enough, Newt kicked the metal table into him. Both the man and the metal clattered to the ground, giving Newt only a few mere seconds to try and escape the last restraint. It proved to be difficult, far more difficult than he’d anticipated. His fingers were like lead, they grasped and the straps uselessly, trembling with adrenaline and such. </p><p>
  <span>Come on, come on… </span>
</p><p><span>With the final doctor running towards </span>him and no other options in sight, Newt had a decision to make. He couldn’t let them get to him and there was no way he could take her one on one. </p><p><span>“Shit.” Newt sucked in a deep breath </span>and held it as he positioned his wrist in a certain way. Then, he squeezed his eyes shut and slammed into it as hard as he could possibly manage. Something snapped and pain raged through Newt’s forearm, he yelped in pain, but didn’t let it stop him. Instead, he slipped the useless limb out of the restraint, then dove down towards where the sedative had dropped. </p><p><span>When the doctor reached him, Newt </span>jammed the syringe into the first exposed flesh he came up, then pressed the plunger. </p><p><span>The woman faltered once, then collapsed </span>to the floor. </p><p><span>Shit. Newt’s entire body was shaking </span>with adrenaline now, something that might’ve been frantic tears blurred his vision as he reached down to the guards with his unbroken hand and snatched a keycard from her pocket. </p><p><span>He made his way to the door he’d </span>entered in, the one opposite on the two-way mirror, then swiped the ID across and headed through. He wasn’t very fast, of course, although he’d been working on it, his legs still weren’t quite what they used to be. However, he pushed on through the pain anyways. </p><p><span>Just like the maze, Newt told himself, </span>trying not to panic as red lights began flashing overhead. He racked his brain for the old habit to come back to him. Right, left, left, right, left, right, right… he had to get back to Sonya, there’s no way he could escape without her. He couldn’t bare to live with himself if he forgot or abandoned her again. </p><p><span>The hallways seemed endless at times, </span>his heart was busy trying to knock a hole through his rib cage, and his legs were starting to ache, but Newt tried not to let any of that stop him. He couldn’t give up. Not now. Not yet. </p><p><span>Bright red lights flashed around him, a </span>buzzer screamed overhead. It was something he’d seen one too many times before. How many of these places would he have to escape before he was really free?</p><p><span>Newt dodged a few scientists and a </span>couple of guards, ducking around corners to avoid being seen. He tried not to let himself take a break, even when he reached the Recovery hall. </p><p>
  <span>His hands were trembling badly out of </span>
  <span>fear, shock, and adrenaline, which only made it more frustrating trying to open the door, especially with only </span>
  <em>
    <span>one </span>
  </em>
  <span>hand, but, at last, Newt managed it. The second the light turned green, he grabbed the handle and threw it open. </span>
</p><p><span>“Newt?” Sonya sounded beyond </span>surprised when he came hobbling inside, she was downright appalled when she saw him. Her hands were pressed against the glass, eyes wide and red lights flashing in the whites of them. “What are you—?” </p><p><span>“We’re leaving,” Newt told her </span>sternly. “Come on, then, we have to hurry.” </p><p>
  <span>“What-What happened to your—!” </span>
</p><p><span>“Don’t ask,” Newt shot back. He </span>practically fell onto her closed door in exhaustion, his unbroken hand was still trembling as he swiped the card across. “Come along, hurry now.” </p><p>
  <span>“But—!” </span>
</p><p><span>“Bloody </span><em><span>now, </span></em><span>Sonya! We don’t have </span>time!” </p><p><span>Sonya nodded frantically and didn’t </span>argue anymore, she brushed past him as she headed out into the hall. “Which way?” </p><p><span>“Straight down the hall,” Newt said. </span>“I’m not sure if they’re on my trail...” </p><p><span>Sonya began running in that direction </span>and Newt tried his best to keep up, but he just wasn’t as fast. After laying dormant for weeks, along with an already shucked leg, he couldn’t exactly help it. Even if he managed well enough, when Sonya realized just how much he was falling behind, she looped back to try and help. </p><p><span>“Come on, lean on me,” she said to him </span>desperately as she wrapped his good arm behind her neck. “Just focus on running, I can handle the rest.” </p><p>
  <span>“Stop your worrying over </span>
  <em>
    <span>me,</span>
  </em>
  <span> you </span>
  <span>need to take care of </span>
  <em>
    <span>yourself!!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then stop giving me reason to!” </span>
</p><p><span>“Sonya, you’re going to overexert </span>yourself, I’m too heavy—!” </p><p><span>“Look who’s talking, you Twit! </span><em><span>You’re </span></em>going to overexert yourself…” Sonya turned a corner sharply, dragging him with her, but then suddenly stopped short. </p><p><span>When Newt looked up, his heart </span>dropped into his stomach at the sight of Teresa at the end of the hall with an electrical blaster ready and aimed at them. She was flanked by two other mean-looking men. </p><p><span>“Go back quietly and I won’t have to use </span>this.” She said. </p><p><span>Newt swallowed nervously. He glanced </span>behind his shoulder for some kind of escape. The other hall didn’t seem exactly hopeful, it was a long and narrow walkway, something similar he’d seen in the very first compound he’d been in. An exit. With a padlock to seal the deal. It was risky, but it could work. </p><p><span>They couldn’t very well go towards </span>Teresa, who’d now begun stalking towards them. Back the way they came was the safer option, but where would they go from there? They’d surely be caught. </p><p><span>Behind them was an escape, without a </span><span>doubt. If they could just make it through the doors, they be safe… but, with Newt’s bum leg and body, they’d never make it… but, then, suddenly, it hit him. No… </span><em><span>he </span></em><span>wouldn’t</span> <span>make it. </span></p><p><span>Before he even realized what he was </span>doing, Newt took a step back towards the other hall. </p><p>
  <span>“Newt…?” Sonya asked quietly. </span>
</p><p><span>“Behind us,” Newt said, he slowly began </span>pulling his arm from his sister’s shoulders.</p><p><span>Sonya cast a look over her shoulder, </span>but then reached up and grabbed Newt’s arm before he could pull it away. “What are you doing?” </p><p><span>Newt swallowed again, grit his teeth </span>nervously, unsure of what to tell her. There’s no way she’d willingly let him stay behind if it came down to it. “If we’re going to make it, we’ll have to go separate. That way, we’ll be harder to hit.” </p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” Sonya asked worriedly. </span>
</p><p><span>“Positive,” Newt replied. “When we’re </span>both through, we’ll take out the padlock, so they can’t follow. Then, we run like hell.” </p><p><span>“I vote on running like hell through the </span>entire thing,” </p><p><span>“When I say go,” he mumbled to her. </span>It’s not like he had long to wait long, Teresa and the guards had gotten close. Too close. “Okay, go!” </p><p><span>He pulled his arm away from Sonya, </span>then turned tail, positioning himself between her and Teresa as he hobbled along. </p><p>
  <span>“Newt!” Teresa called angrily. “Newt, </span>
  <em>
    <span>stop!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt didn’t listen. He only had to hope that Teresa was bluffing about the gun  </span>
</p><p><span>“Newt, don’t make me use this!” Her </span>voice was closer this time, she could definitely have hit him if she tried. </p><p><span>By now, Newt’s entire body was ready </span>to give up. He hadn’t exercised this much in… well… since he’d broken his leg. He had reason to, of course, right now that said leg was literally on fire, about to fall off. Things were beginning to look bleak for him. </p><p><span>He felt like that time he’d tried a </span>pepper that once in Frypan’s old kitchen in the Glade. Only now, his entire body was on fire, not just his mouth. </p><p><span>He was close, but he wouldn’t make it. </span>He knew it well. Sonya was closer, she could’ve made it through the doors and, if Newt wanted to make sure she’d get out safely, he would have to make sure Teresa couldn’t follow. </p><p><span>The girl was too close behind him for </span>him to get through and shut the doors without her following. He had a decision to make, but it was one of the quickest he’d ever done. Between saving himself or his little sister, he would choose the latter in a heartbeat. </p><p><span>Just like he’d thought, Sonya reached  <br/></span>the doors first. She didn’t hesitate for a second to bolt through, but she stopped short on the other side to look back at Newt. </p><p><span>“Go!” Newt called to her. “I’m right </span>behind you!” </p><p><span>He really wasn’t. He reached the doors </span>a few moments after her, but instead of rushing through, he went straight up to the padlock and, without wasting a second, he swiped the ID card across it. Teresa reached him right as the doors began falling, she slammed the gun into the back of his head and he crumbled into the wall painfully, ears almost ringing. </p><p><span>When she dove to try and go after </span>Sonya, though, Newt dizzyingly grabbed her shoulders and held her in place. His wrist burned in protest, nearly spasming his arm into letting go, but he couldn’t let that stop him. </p><p><span>“Newt!” Teresa shouted at him. “Newt, </span>let go!” She slammed her head into his face and his nose cracked, sending a wave of pain across his face. His vision wavered slightly as liquid began pooling down his lip, but it wasn’t enough to make him let go. He wasn’t sure anything could’ve. </p><p><span>She slowly reached the doors right as </span>they shut with a boom, her hands pressed against them uselessly. When Newt got a glance of the outside, all he saw was Sonya’s ponytail waving in the wind as she fled. He couldn’t help but smile in his own triumph, but his happiness didn’t last long. </p><p><span>Strong hands grabbed him from behind,B</span>then yanked him off Teresa with a yelp. They slammed him into the wall so hard, it rattled his teeth. </p><p><span>A flash of pain shot up Newt’s spine as </span>he slid down to the floor. He wasn’t given much time to process what had just happened before a fist suddenly slammed into his face. </p><p><span>The world seemed to move in slow </span>motion as he fell the rest of the way to the floor. But, his endless torture didn’t stop there. </p><p><span>A boot suddenly slammed into his gut, </span>knocking the wind clean out of him. Then, another one cracked against his chest and he gasped. They didn’t stop, even when he was down. He curled into himself protectively, broken arm close to his chest, but they kept coming, over and over again, in his stomach, his chest, even his back and shoulders, smashing into him and cracking and shifting things that weren’t meant to be shifted. </p><p><span>“Stop…!” Someone’s muffled voice </span>called from above. Even over the ringing, Newt could tell it was Teresa. The boots stopped kicking for a moment and, through darkening vision, Newt saw her grab one of their arms. She started talking to them, but Newt couldn’t hear a single word she said. </p><p><span>The taste of iron filled his mouth in his </span>moment of peace and Newt noticed blood beginning to drip onto the tile. He wasn’t sure if he was going delirious, if he was overwhelmed with the pain vibrating through his body, or he was just plain exhausted with the adrenaline fading, but he was mesmerized by the sight of it. </p><p><span>It was red blood on the tile. Not black, </span><span>but red. A victorious color, the color of roses, the rising and setting sunlight, of cherries and apples, of </span><em><span>fire...</span></em> <em><span>red.</span></em></p><p><span>Newt couldn’t help but smile. A light, </span>but dreamy half-cough, half-giggle bubbled through his lips, then something in his chest shifted and liquid trickled down the side of his cheek. </p><p><span>Red. Other than Sonya leaving, the </span>very sight of it was more reliving than any other thing he’d ever seen before. Red. Red. Red. It was like a mantra in his ears. Red. Red. Red. Red. </p><p><span>His blood was red and he wasn’t </span>infected anymore. Almost more importantly, his sister was gone, she’d escaped WCKD. Why should Newt feel anything but relieved? </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>After cleaning up dinner, Thomas and </span>the rest of the group settled in the living room for a much needed break. Since the man had yet to come out of the room, they were pretty low on options on what to do. They couldn’t very well leave yet, it was still far too hot outside, so they’d all agreed on just relaxing for a moment. </p><p><span>Thomas tried to relax the best he </span>could, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t get into it. At the island? Sure, he might’ve managed it. But, out here in the Scorch with his and his friend’s lives hanging in the balance, with Newt and Sonya still with WCKD? It was near impossible.  </p><p><span>He laid flat on his back near the center </span>of the room, staring up at the ceiling in a haze. Around him, his friends were sleeping and relaxed, it was mostly silent besides their quiet breathing. </p><p>
  <span>At first, Thomas felt envious towards </span>
  <span>them. But, he also soon realized that Brenda was the only one who </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually </span>
  </em>
  <span>seemed to be peacefully asleep. Everyone was tired, sure, but they just laid there not really doing anything about it. He supposed they felt the same way he did; scared for themselves and their friends. Tired after a restless night, but still too restless to sleep. It was certainly quite the predicament for everyone. </span>
</p><p><span>He found himself thinking about </span>what Newt and Sonya were going through right now. He wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from WCKD nowadays. With their empire crumbling, perhaps they’d gone desperate and turned to worse methods than usual? What would that mean for Sonya? More importantly, what would that mean for Newt, someone who’d literally been cured of the Flare? </p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t sure how they’d get that </span>
  <span>information, but they </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>taken him, had they not? They must’ve done so for a reason… what if they somehow knew and we’re busy trying to somehow extract the cure from him? Thomas had no way of knowing for sure and the very fact only succeeded in worrying him more. </span>
</p><p><span>Thomas was suddenly pulled out of </span>thought by the sound of a loud thump echoing from somewhere inside the house. He lifted his head, face twisted in confusion, and turned in the direction it’d come from. Pas true dining table, possibly from the room the man had locked himself in. </p><p><span> “What’s up, Shank?” Minho asked </span>beside him absently, he hadn’t moved from his position on the floor. </p><p><span>Thomas frowned, not willing to talk in </span>case the noise came again. He cast Minho a brief look, which the boy seemed to catch onto fast. </p><p><span>Minho sat up with a similar expression </span>and turned his head to the room. </p><p><span>“Thomas?” Frypan asked quietly. By </span>now, the rest of the group were staring at them curiously as well. “What’s wrong?” </p><p><span>After a minute or so of silence, Thomas </span>shook his head. “It’s nothing,” he told them. “Thought I heard something, it must’ve been my imagination…” </p><p><span>“Are you sure?” Brenda was awake now, </span>laying facing Thomas. Her face was stony and serious. </p><p>
  <span>Thomas nodded absently and laid back </span>
  <span>down, urging the others to do the same. Maybe he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>just being paranoid. Or, maybe the man </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> made the noise, but it wasn’t really a big deal… even if it had sounded large. It wasn’t any of his business anyways, he shouldn’t have questioned this man after all he’d done for them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a while, Thomas laid flat on the </span>
  <span>floor with his eyes closed, resting but not sleeping. His mind was racing too fast. He was too on edge. He was thinking. Thinking about his friends, the island, WCKD. Trying to figure out… </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything </span>
  </em>
  <span>useful. He had been peacefully drifting through the darkness of his thoughts, when a sound suddenly drifted past his ears. Something like a growl. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gasped quietly, eyes flying open. </span>
  <span>The room around him was darkener, though he didn’t remember falling asleep, but he somehow </span>
  <em>
    <span>must’ve… </span>
  </em>
  <span>the sunlight had faded considerably from the room. It was later in the day. A long time had passed. </span>
</p><p><span>Thomas sat up slowly, eyes scanning the </span>area for anything out of place. He considered calling out a simple ‘hello’ to the emptiness, but he figured that doing so would actually be kind of stupid. Nothing was out of place, his friends seemed to have drifted off to sleep, too, once their exhaustion caught up to them. They were sprawled on the floor and couches and chairs, but still close together, breathing and snoring softly. </p><p><span>Everything </span><em><span>seemed </span></em><span>fine, but Thomas </span>still felt uneasy. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Something dangerous. His gut feelings had been wrong before, but—! </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Creeeak…! </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>Thomas’ head whipped around at the </span><span>sound of a quiet noise</span> <span>behind him, like old and rusted metal hinges. He found himself again looking in the direction of the man’s room. Only, this time, a sliver of light was shining on the wooden floor across from where the door was. </span></p><p><span>It’s just the wind, Thomas told himself, </span>but he couldn’t force himself to lay back down. His blood felt icy cold, fear gripped him like steel fingers. His eyes were glued to the rectangle of light and, before he told them to, his feet began pushing him up from where he was sitting. </p><p><span>Minho shifted in his sleep beside him, </span>and, for a brief moment, Thomas debated on waking him up. But then, he ultimately decided against it. He would just check quickly, then he’d be right back, what’s the worst that could possibly happen?</p><p>
  <span>Thomas crept across the living room, </span>
  <span>avoiding stepping on the limbs sprawled out across his path. The wood creaked beneath his boots as he walked, his footsteps seemed to echo through the room. Thud, </span>
  <em>
    <span>creak</span>
  </em>
  <span>, thud, </span>
  <em>
    <span>creak</span>
  </em>
  <span>, thud, </span>
  <em>
    <span>creak…</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p><span>The closer he got to the hall, the more </span>noises began filling his ears. Most predominantly, something that sounded like gasping, wheezing, and growling at the same time. Breathing, maybe? </p><p><span>He reached the hallway in what felt </span>like an hour, but really was most likely only a minute. The breathing was louder, more ragged, carrying a familiar sound with it on each exhale. There was a faint and weak cough that rattled after one, a groan after another. </p><p><span>Every instinct told Thomas to turn </span>around when he reached that hallway, but he was too close to stop. He would just check and be out of there in a matter of seconds. </p><p><span>“Hello?” He wasn’t sure why all of </span>a sudden he felt like now was the right time for that, but he thought that it was maybe just the man snoring or the wind or something. The second the word left his mouth, however, he regretted it. The breathing and noises stopped all at once, cutting to dead silence. </p><p>
  <span>Thomas’ hand was a mere inch from the </span>
  <span>doorknob when something loud hit the floor. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thud! </span>
  </em>
  <span>He stopped in his tracks and held his own breath when something began scraping against the wood heading towards him. Then, there was a growl and it suddenly occurred to him what had felt so familiar about this. How could he have been so dumb? </span>
</p><p><span>Thomas scrambled away from the door </span>right as it swung open and something flew out towards him, hands outstretched greedily. A screech ripped through the air and the door slammed against the wall with a bang, then the strange man landed on his stomach a few mere inches from Thomas’ feet. </p><p><span>“Shit!” Thomas cursed. He turned to </span>get away, but something latched onto his ankle. Cold, dead, needlelike fingers that dug into his skin, pulling him back. He twisted in the grip, reacting as fast as he could, and kicked out with the other foot. He slammed his boot into the man’s face and his eyes widened in horror when dark black blood splattered onto the floor upon contact. </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Agh!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The strange man… no, </span>
  <em>
    <span>the Crank</span>
  </em>
  <span> gurgled </span>
  <span>at him, his grip loosened slightly and Thomas wrenched his ankle away. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Raaaagh!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>“Guys!” Thomas yelled as he tore into </span>the living room. “Guys, we’ve gotta go!” </p><p><span>Most of the group were already </span>standing, though, probably jostled from all the commotion. </p><p><span>“Thomas, look out!” Gally suddenly </span>bellowed. </p><p><span>Thomas dove to the side right as the </span>crank reached him. He hit the floor with a thud and the Crank sailed into the wall with a pain-filled screech. </p><p><span>Hands were latching under Thomas’ </span>arms and pulling him up into a standing position. </p><p><span>“We’ve gotta go!” Jorge commanded in </span>his ear. </p><p><span>“Look out!” Another voice screamed </span>before anyone could react to Jorge. </p><p><span>The Crank had regained itself enough </span>to charge again, but Harriet dodged out of the way by jumping onto the couch before it could reach her. Another painful and frustrated screech echoed from the Crank, this time it stumbled right into the floor. </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go! Head for the door!”</span>
</p><p><span>Someone grabbed onto Thomas’ arm yet </span>again and yanked him hard towards their escape. He tore his attention away from the Crank in an effort to follow Minho out, but he hadn’t made it three steps before another screech tore through the air. </p><p><span>“Split!” Minho yelled. He dove to one </span>side and Thomas dove to the other, but the Crank seemed to have realized their strategy. It headed straight for Minho, who was prone on the floor, leaping on top of him. Minho’s hands shot up to hold it back, it’s teeth nashed inches from his face. </p><p>
  <span>“Thomas!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frantically, Thomas grabbed the first </span>
  <span>thing he came into contact with, an umbrella that was useless nowadays. He pushed himself up from the floor and raced over to Minho. His arms swung before he could remember the reason why he hadn’t yet hit this Crank, and the umbrella smacked into it with a resounding </span>
  <em>
    <span>twack! </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>The Crank flew to one side and Minho </span>scrambled to get up. But, instead of heading for the door, Minho weaved past Thomas heading straight for the kitchen. </p><p><span> “Where are you going?” Thomas called </span>in a panic. If Minho had responded, he hadn’t heard. His ears were filled with the Crank screech again and he turned his attention back to the thing currently trying to kill him. His muscles tensed, fingers curling around the umbrella like a baseball bat as the Crank got closer. </p><p>
  <span>He readied himself to hit, but when the </span>
  <span>Crank finally got close enough to him, it suddenly faltered. For just a brief moment, Thomas was caught off guard by the look that flashed through its face. Horror and fear mixed with a healthy dose of shock, pain, and sorrow, like the tiniest gasp of sanity from… a scared </span>
  <em>
    <span>man. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Not a </span>
  <em>
    <span>monster. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, the crank’s hesitance </span>
  <span>did not last long. It seemed to shake itself free fairly quickly and went right back into it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Arghh!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span> Thomas barely managed to leap back </span>out of the way, the crank’s fingers latched onto his shirt and tore out a chunk of fabric from the back. The umbrella clattered from his hands when he slammed into a wall. His back hit it first, closely followed by his head, and the force from the rest of his body didn’t feel great either. </p><p><span>It was great on the Crank’s part, but </span>not so much Thomas’. His head was spinning and, for a moment, all he could do was sit in a daze. Nothing exactly hurt, per say, but Thomas still found himself incompaciated with shock. </p><p><span>He drifted out of it slowly, he’d barely </span>raised his head when his eyes caught the sight of the Crank again, heading straight for him. The world seemed to move in slow motion. </p><p>
  <span>Thomas wasn’t sure why he was going to </span>
  <span>do, there was nothing in his line of sight that could’ve helped him now. He raised his arms protectively, maybe in an effort to hold the Crank off so he could possibly catch his breath. But, when the Crank was nearly a foot away from him, though, a powerful and determined yell bellowed through the air, then something slammed into it with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>crack</span>
  </em>
  <span> and the thing went sailing back into the wall. It screeched only once, then fell still. </span>
</p><p><span>When Thomas turned, he was shocked </span>to see Minho holding a chair over his head. A dangerous, murderous, and terrified look shone in his eyes as he panted, eyes locked on the Crank. But, the Crank moved no longer, not even a twitch. It was dead. The strange man was dead. </p><p><span>“Minho.” Thomas gasped, his eyes felt </span>like they were bugging out of his head. </p><p><span>“Are you okay?” Minho croaked out. He </span>hadn’t yet tore his eyes away from the Crank, his arms were shaking, still holding the chair over his head. He looked angry, but shocked and terrified at the same time. “Thomas!” </p><p>
  <span>“I-I’m okay!” Thomas said back to him. </span>
  <span>“You can put down the chair now, he’s… </span>
  <em>
    <span>it’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>dead...” </span>
</p><p><span>“Good that.” Minho muttered. He slowly </span>began to lower the chair, but his eyes didn’t leave the Crank even once. “Shit... Let’s get outta here.” </p><p><span>Thomas nodded numbly. He brought a </span>hand to his head as he stood up, but thankfully found no blood, only a sizable grapefruit at the back of his skull. “Minho…” he began slowly and brought his hand back down. A bump on the head wouldn’t kill him anytime soon. </p><p>
  <span>“What?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you go into the <em>kitchen?” </em></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, Minho turned to look at him, </span>
  <span>the first time he’d done so since obliterating the Crank. “I know you like to </span>
  <em>
    <span>think </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’m the dumbest Shank here, which, y'know, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am </span>
  </em>
  <span>most of the time,” he smirked slightly, it was a bit forced, then held up something that jingled. “but, even </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>have capabilities.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy raised his hand, something small that jingled when moved was pinched between his fingers. He was holding the keys to a vehicle. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>The next couple of hours in Newt’s life </span>came in flashes of reality. Like only fragments of his brain were trying to wake up at different times. </p><p><span>The main trigger for his awakenings </span>was pain, but those moments got too bad even for him, so he was sucked back under again. </p><p><span>One moment, he found himself </span>watching the ceiling tiles go by him again, people were shouting around him, something about internal bleeding, they were running. </p><p><span>Another moment, he was staring up at a </span>small, tight dome above his head with a rim of light shining over his body. He’d blinked, then found himself looking at large, bright, and fluorescent lights with people in masks surrounding him. </p><p><em><span>“Count down from 100…”</span></em><span> a voice </span>whispered to him as a large and hissing mask was placed on his face. </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t even make it to 98. </span>
</p><p><span>Then, there was darkness. When </span>consciousness began fading back into Newt, he didn’t enjoy it. </p><p><span>The fire in his body had dimmed, but it </span>had yet to leave. He wasn’t sure his leg would ever feel the same again. He wasn’t sure if his wrist would turn out the same way as his leg. His chest ached every time he breathed. </p><p><span>“Newt?” A feminine voice echoed in his </span>head. “Newt, can you hear me?” </p><p>
  <span>Newt’s brain was really still trying to </span>
  <span>process everything that had happened. What really </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>happened? He remembered running, then pain, then… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lizzie? </span>
  </em>
  <span>No, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sonya. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Something about Sonya… and Teresa… </span>
</p><p><span>“Newt.” This time the voice was </span>accompanied by feelings; the feelings of pain, the feelings of touch. He didn’t recognize who was talking to him, their voice was stern. </p><p><span>Cold hands pressed against his face, his </span>throat. They pulled back his eyelid, then a bright light seemed to stab into Newt’s brain. He groaned in discomfort and the hands pulled away. </p><p><span>“Open your eyes, Newt.” The voice </span>commanded now. “I know you’re capable.” </p><p><span>Newt didn’t want to, but he felt that it </span>would happen eventually. Might as well get it over with now, right? Anything to get her to stop saying the same thing. </p><p><span>What a mistake </span><em><span>that </span></em><span>had been. Newt </span>took a deep breath and dragged open his eyes, but his pupils seemed to move with his eyelids. It was like they didn’t want to open. He blinked hard and tried again, slightly more successful if not for the bright lights over him. </p><p><span>“Come on, you’re almost there,” the </span>voice said. </p><p><span>Newt grumbled something unintelligibly </span>under his breath, then swallowed and tried one more time. It took a lot of effort to do that single, simple task. His eyelids were still heavy, it was quite a struggle to keep them open. </p><p><span>Right as Newt did succeed in the fact, </span>however, something wet was suddenly pressed against his forehead. He hissed in pain when a stinging sensation jolted across his face, his eyes darted to see what was going on. </p><p><span>An unfamiliar woman sat beside him </span>with short, blonde hair. Her face was serious, stony, but her eyes shone with curiosity. </p><p><span>It took Newt’s dazed brain a second to </span>process that he didn’t know who she was. When he did realize, he jolted back, but didn’t get far when something fastened around his arms caught. Hot pain flared up his wrist right and he yelped. </p><p><span>“Welcome back,” the woman said. She </span>pulled the cloth back briefly to speak with him. “Do you know where you are?” </p><p>
  <span>Newt blinked, trying to see if this was </span>
  <span>fake. He still felt exhausted after all, maybe his brain was playing tricks on him? “Wha… Who are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>The woman sat straighter, like she was </span>trying to show her position from her posture alone. However, Newt didn’t quite catch her drift. </p><p><span>“I am Dr. Melgren of the world council,” </span>the woman continued proudly. “I am here supervising the progress of the cure…?” </p><p><span>Oh bloody joy, Newt thought to himself </span>as he collapsed back into his pillows, pain shot through his tired body and he winced. </p><p><span>“Have you any clue of that goal, Mr. </span>Newton?” </p><p><span>“Not’a </span><em><span>bloody</span></em><span> clue,” Newt mumbled </span>sarcastically. </p><p><span>Dr. Melgren slapped the washcloth </span>against his forehead, seemingly somewhat out of spite. Newt tried not to wince away from her touch. “It’d do you well to watch your tongue. We are not happy with your latest attempt.” </p><p>
  <span>Newt scoffed at the irony of it. He </span>
  <span>didn’t need to be a fool to remember what had happened, even as vague as it was. His pain and heavy exhaustion was real enough, his lip was swollen, his cheeks stung with scratches and he couldn’t quite see fully out of his right eye. “Right. Cause ‘ts not like I paid the price for </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>yet.” </span>
</p><p><span>“Broken ribs, broken wrist, pressure </span>cracks in your leg, a possible pneumothorax, internal bleeding? You have no one to blame but yourself.” </p><p><span>“Thanks…” Newt sighed, he felt his </span>breath rattle painfully and tried to swallow back a curse. He’d had a reason for trying to escape…  what was his reason for it? Then, suddenly, it hit him. He slowly turned his head towards the glass that led into the hall, Sonya’s bed was empty, she was gone. Sonya was out and a surge of pride swelled in his chest and he smiled. “You can’t find her, can you?” </p><p><span>“Subject B5 will not be mentioned,” Dr. M</span>elren said between grit teeth. </p><p>
  <span>Newt laughed softly, as painful as it was. So, </span>
  <span>his plan </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>actually ended up working mostly in the end. He didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>totally </span>
  </em>
  <span>fail—! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The smile faded off his face quickly </span>
  <span>and he froze upon noticing at the sight of a figure sleeping on his other side. He hadn’t expected to see </span>
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>here. </span>
</p><p><span>It was Teresa, snoring peacefully in a </span>chair with her cheek resting on her fist. A clipboard rested on her lap, her fingers held a pen limply. Newt’s triumph was quickly replaced with confusion towards the girl. Wasn’t she the reason behind this? </p><p>
  <span>“Try not to wake her,” Dr. Melgren said </span>
  <span>sorrowfully. “She’s been up for ages tending to you, waiting for you to wake up. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m </span>
  </em>
  <span>here doing her a favor.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A bloody job well done,” Newt </span>
  <span>muttered and blinked as he tried to mask his shock. “...feel like a bloody </span>
  <em>
    <span>saint…” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Try not to be so hateful. If not for </span>
  <span>her, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’d</span>
  </em>
  <span> most likely be dead.” </span>
</p><p><span>“If not for her, I wouldn’t even be </span><em><span>in </span></em>this situation, now would I?” </p><p><span>Dr. Melgren sighed. “What do you have </span>against her, A5? Why is it that you hate her so much after how much she’s stuck her neck out for you?” </p><p>
  <span>Tears burned at Newt’s eyes and he </span>
  <span>closed them tightly. Where to even begin? She’d locked him in a maze after stealing his memories, then right after helping him escape, she’d betrayed them to the very place they’d just gotten away from. To make matters worse, she’d gotten Minho kidnapped, tortured countless other subjects, then nearly gotten him </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tommy killed. After that, she’d kept him </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>his shucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>sister</span>
  </em>
  <span> at a facility to be tortured like animals. “I have my reasons,” he grumbled darkly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>spiteful?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt opened an eye to glare at her. “... </span>
  <span>couldn’ expect </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>to understand.” </span>
</p><p><span>The woman leaned forward and raised a brow. “That’s fair... I will admit we’ve shared different </span>circumstances...” </p><p>
  <span>Newt scoffed, which he quickly learned </span>
  <span>to be a bad idea when pain flashed in his chest. He winced and groaned in pain. </span>
</p><p><span>The woman rolled her eyes. She set the </span>cloth in her lap, then reached for something on the end table beside her, a glass of water and a pill. “Here,” she said. “Can you sit up more?” </p><p>
  <span>Newt frowned in disgust. “No— yeah, I </span>
  <span>can </span>
  <em>
    <span>sit up. </span>
  </em>
  <span> I’ve got it...” Of course, when he tried, he learned how difficult it proved to be. He could only use one hand to push himself up and it was hard enough with the handcuffs. Not to mention, his chest felt like fire again. He didn’t make it very far, his body ached worse, much to his disappointment. </span>
</p><p><span>“Let me help you,” Dr. Melgren said. </span>Before Newt could respond, she reached over and slid her hand behind his back, tilting him forwards only slightly. </p><p><span>Newt clenched his teeth and nervously </span>stared at the pill in her hand. “How… How do I know I can trust you?” </p><p>
  <span>“If we wanted you dead, we wouldn’t </span>
  <span>have tried so hard and used so much equipment saving you.” Dr. Melgren held his gaze, lifted an eyebrow slightly. “We didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>to do that. We didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>to listen to Teresa insisting, but we </span>
  <em>
    <span>did. </span>
  </em>
  <span>You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>welcome.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>Newt swallowed nervously. “Is </span><em><span>that </span></em><span>why </span>I’m being forced to take a pill opposed to an IV.” </p><p><span>Dr. Melgren was silent, but her facade </span>broke just slightly enough that a bit of worry shone through. </p><p>
  <span>“That’s it, isn’t it?”</span>
</p><p><span>“Just take the pill, A5. Make life easier </span>for the both of us.” </p><p><span>But, Newt had suddenly come to </span>realize. “WCKD is doing just about as well as I am, aren’t they?” </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s just say everyone’s in a </span>
  <span>predicament nowadays,” Dr. Melgren huffed and held the pill closer to his face. “Now, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please—!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” </span>
</p><p><span>“It’ll help with your pain and may </span>speed your recovery a bit as well.” </p><p>
  <span>“A pain reliever?” </span>
</p><p><span>“If you would.” After that, Dr. Melgren </span>didn’t beat around the bush anymore. She held the pill in between two fingers on her left hand, then set him up slightly more with the other hand. She slipped the pill in his mouth, then went for the cup next. “Now, swallow it.” </p><p>
  <span>Newt held it in his mouth for a moment, </span>
  <span>unsure what to think of this woman. But, even he could tell the effects of whatever they’d  given him beforehand was wearing off. And, he was tired. Physically and mentally. He supposed they </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>need him healthy for experiments, so they wouldn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>poison </span>
  </em>
  <span>him, right? </span>
</p><p><span>Judging by the way Dr. Melgren </span>was glaring at him, she wouldn’t stop until it was gone. </p><p><span>So, after taking a deep breath to calm </span>his nerves, Newt glanced up at her once, then took a sip of water, and finally swallowed. He pulled a slightly disgusted face at the way the pill went down, but the disgust quickly faded into realization. </p><p><span>Dr. Melgren began gently lowering him </span>knowingly back onto the bed, seemingly moving in slow motion. </p><p><span>The effects of the pill were immediate. </span>Not long after he’d swallowed it, a wave of dizziness slammed into him; exhaustion. His eyelids turned to pure lead, his limbs felt weighed down by sand in the restraints. Heavy sleep medication, then? </p><p><span>When Newt hit the pillow, the </span>sensation of moving downwards continued. His vision faded to grey, then black, the face of the woman seemed to grow smaller and smaller the deeper Newt fell into slumber. </p><p>
  <span>At least she’d ended up having a point </span>
  <span>after all. He probably wouldn’t be feeling </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything </span>
  </em>
  <span>anytime soon. </span>
</p>
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